


It's a Dog's Life Part 2

by jsmp_415



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Affection, Anal Plug, Angst, Assault, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Attempted Sexual Assault, Blow Jobs, Broken Bones, Cock Cages, Cock Rings, Developing Relationship, Double Penetration, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Master/Pet, Oral Fixation, Oral Sex, Orgasm, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Past Child Abuse, Praise Kink, Puppy Play, Rutting, Sex, Singing, Spanking, Tenderness, Threesome - F/M/M, Thumb-sucking, Vomiting, nipple sucking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-01-25 18:50:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 39,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18580471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jsmp_415/pseuds/jsmp_415
Summary: Set one year after It's a Dog's Life. Rick is asked to spend a week in North Georgia for work, but it means leaving Daryl alone for a week. The last time he had to leave him alone, even for a night, ended in disaster. His timid lover was taken advantage of by someone Rick thought he could trust and he can't let that happen again. But what he doesn't count on is being captivated by the young woman he finds to care for Daryl, nor for Daryl to become so attached as well.





	1. Rick

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [It's a Dog's Life](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12199227) by [DarklyDreamingDixon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarklyDreamingDixon/pseuds/DarklyDreamingDixon). 



> This story would not be possible without DarklyDreamingDixon's It's a Dog's Life. While it's not necessary to read it first, I highly recommend it, as it will make some things a little clearer. Also, it's just awesome, so please go read!
> 
> For the purposes of this story, Rick is the head of the HR department for Atlanta PD, taking the position after he was shot.

“Hey, Rick, you got a second?” Rick’s boss, Jose Martinez, the county Sheriff, called to him from his office. Rick went in and sat down. “So I just got a call from a station near Lookout Mountain. They have a new HR guy and wanted to know if you could go up there for all of next week and train him.”

“W-what?” Rick didn’t know what to say, his mind immediately turning home, to the most important thing in his world.

“The guy’s never been around cops before, man. He’s basically an infant. They want someone who knows what they’re doing.”

“Why hire the guy in the first place?”

“C’mon, Rick, you’ve been up there. Who wants to work up there? They were desperate to fill the position. They heard about how you whipped this place into shape after you stepped down, they want you.”

“I...can I have some time to think it over?”

“What is there to think over?” Martinez demanded to know. 

“I just-I need some time to get some stuff in order. Let me make sure it’s doable and I’ll let you know first thing in the morning.” He stood. “I’m taking a personal day.”

“Rick? Man, what do you have that needs to be taken care of?”

“Fuck off, Martinez, I don’t pry into your personal life, stay the hell out of mine! I’m taking a personal day,” he repeated as he walked out the door, which he slammed as soon as he was through it.

What the hell was he going to do?  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Living in a suburb of Atlanta had its perks. His house had the privacy he so desperately needed; the city had a large enough population to warrant an establishment like the Kingdom. He’d Googled it months ago. After the Shane fiasco, he knew he couldn’t put his pup through that again. But he’d been putting it off and putting it off. And now it may be too late. If he didn’t go to North Georgia, he could very well get fired. He was already in enough hot water as it was, telling his boss to fuck off like that. 

So now here he was in the middle of the day, standing in the last place he ever expected to be. He knocked at the locked door and a huge red headed man opened it immediately.

“What do you want?”

“I was hoping to talk to the owner of the establishment,” Rick said. 

“I’m gonna need more than that, shithead,” the man growled.

Rick bristled, “That’s all you’re gonna get, asshole. Now either let me in or I’ll take my business somewhere else.” That did it, just like Rick knew it would. The guy opened the door and let him in. 

“What’s going on Abe?” A petite woman came up to them just as Abe closed the door.

“Mistress,” Abe addressed her, “this man says he wishes to speak with you.”

“Indeed? And to what do I owe the pleasure…”

“Rick,” he finished as he held out his hand. She took it and they shook.

“Rick. I’m Mistress Ann, Kingdom is my club. Now may I ask what you are doing here?”

“I’m in need of some help with a….delicate situation.” His eyes flicked to Abe, not wanting to go into all his personal details in front of the man.

“Why don’t we go to my office?” He nodded and then followed her. She motioned for him to sit in one of the green leather armchairs as she sat behind the desk.

“Now, Rick. What can I do for you?”

Rick opened his mouth and everything came spilling out. The way he met Daryl, what he suspected at first, what he confirmed later, what their relationship evolved into so naturally. His car accident last year and how it almost cost him everything. How he’d been asked to leave for a week and he had no idea what to do with his timid lover.

“It sounds as though you are relatively new to the world of BDSM, so you might be surprised to know that this is a common problem Dominants can have. Especially if their submissives need their world to….smaller, like your Daryl does. There is a member of my club that has stayed with other submissives like Daryl. She’s a very sweet girl. She’s actually a master’s student, in behavioral psychology, of all things. Would you like me to message her and see if she’s available?”

“Yes, please,” he breathed.

Ann held up a finger and pulled out her phone. Rick watched her thumbs fly across the screen. And when she finished she turned her full attention back to Rick.

“You said this girl-“

“Emma, is her name.”

“Emma,” Rick nodded. “You said she’s a member here?”

“Yes. Emma is a very special case. She can be a dominant and a submissive. Which is why I think she’d be perfect for your boy. She can be firm but very tender, knowing  
exactly what a submissive needs.” Her phone dinged and she picked it up. “She’s in class right now. She wants to know if she can meet you at Bernard Halpern Park off 285 at 2 this afternoon?”

“Yes,” he said, relieved. “I actually live close to there.”

“Can I give her your number?”

He rattled off his cell number at once.

“She’ll probably text you soon. I hope she works out for you, Rick.” She handed Rick a card. “Please call me if you need anything else. We’re a small community here, it’s always nice to welcome new members.”

“Thank you, Mistress Ann,” he addressed her formally and with one last handshake he left.

Ann was right. About twenty minutes after he left, his phone went off. He was stuck in traffic so he glanced at it.

'Hi Rick, this is Emma Martin. Mistress Ann explained a bit about your situation and said that you could meet me at 2. There’s a bench at Bernard Halpern that’s closer to the trees than the playground. I’ll be there; I’m wearing a hot pink shirt and blue jeans. I also have short brown hair.'

He waited as the traffic moved and once they’d stopped again, he replied.

'Thank you, Emma. I’ll be there. I’m in jeans and a brown short sleeved button down.'

He was right on time, but the bench was already occupied. 

“Emma?” He asked as he approached.

“You must be Rick,” the girl held out her hand and he took it.

“Thank you for meeting me on such short notice,” he said as they sat down.

“No problem. Mistress Ann said that you were in desperate need of someone to stay with your partner while you were out of town.”

“Yes. Daryl.” He said looking down at his hands.

“Will you tell me about Daryl?” She asked, softly.

He opened his mouth, and just like with Ann, once he started talking, it was impossible to stop. “I met Daryl almost two years ago now. I saw him digging through a dumpster outside a Dunkin Donuts. He was young, maybe 19 or 20, homeless, filthy, and absolutely terrified. I gave him half of my donut. He looked so hungry, I had to do something. I started seeing him more regularly after that. I made sure to bring him food every time and finally after weeks and weeks, he started to trust me. It took forever, but one day I finally convinced him to let me take him home. He had been roughed up by some other homeless men and I yelled at them. He was so scared, he lost control of his bladder. But I was still able to get him home. That first night, he slept under my kitchen table. He was terrified of everything. He didn’t know how to use a fork. He wouldn’t use the blanket I gave him; I think he was afraid I’d get mad if he got it dirty. The next few days were so hard. He finally let me bathe him. I….” this was the hardest part for him, “I only kept it together because if I didn’t, I knew it would scare him. But the scars on his back,” he choked up, he couldn’t do it. He put a hand over his face to hide his tears. He felt a warm, gentle hand on his arm. “I still don’t know what he went through as a child, a teenager. He doesn’t talk about it. Even after all this time, there are only certain times he’ll speak to me. But the scars, seeing those for the first time was….indescribable. I can’t imagine someone treating such an innocent creature that way,” Rick took a few deep breaths trying to calm himself. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok,” she soothed. “Just take your time.”

He finally took his hand off his face and continued. “It just sort of happened. He seemed more comfortable on the ground, crawling. He liked small spaces, was less skittish when I would pet him. I did some research. And I asked him every time before we did something further,” he felt the need to defend himself before he remembered that he probably didn’t have to with this woman. “He just seemed more comfortable as a dog than as a human.”

“It’s his way of coping with the world,” she said. “Some people take bubble baths, some people drink their livers to death. Daryl needs his world to be more simple. There’s nothing wrong with it, Rick.”

“Thank you. I guess I just needed to hear it.” He sighed. “At the beginning of this year, I was on my way home from work when this idiot ran a red light and hit me. They had to take me to the hospital and everything. I asked a friend, someone I thought I could trust, to look after Daryl. He stays in a cage all day. He will only pee in the backyard.” Emma nodded in encouragement. “Shane took advantage of him,” Rick all but growled. “Saw him as less than human. I’ve never been a violent man, but I could have broken that man’s neck and not even batted an eye. He almost ruined everything I’ve worked so hard to build with Daryl. After it all happened, I knew I’d need someone who was tolerant, who would understand and actually take care of him. I found Kingdom online but didn’t go until now. My boss wants me to go to Lookout Mountain next week. I’d have to leave Sunday afternoon and I wouldn’t be back till late Friday night. I just...I want him to be taken care of,” he almost choked up again as he finished. “I can pay you, whatever it takes.”

“I want to help you, Rick. But I do have a few questions first. Very personal questions. And I also want you to do a few things before you make this decision. I know you’re short on time, so if for whatever reason you’re not comfortable with me staying with Daryl, I’ll do everything I can to help you find someone else.”

“Thank you,” he said from the bottom of his heart. 

“Now first question, to just get it out of the way: the two of you are sexually active together, yes?”

“Yes.”

“I assumed so. What is his day like? What does he do? How close to a dog is he on a daily basis.”

“He has his kennel that he stays in while I’m gone. He hates clothes. When we’re home, which is most of the time, he crawls around naked. He has a puppy tail and wears mittens so he can’t use his fingers. He has a cock cage, but he hasn’t felt a need for it in a few months. He’s loves stuffed animals and sucking on things. He has a few dildos,” Rick started blushing but Emma pretend not to notice, “just for that purpose. He also has a pacifier. He’s….he’s my puppy,” he finished. 

“You love him,” she said with all the understanding a human could hold.

“More than anything in the world,” he replied.

She rummaged around in her backpack and pulled out a piece of paper. “This is a sheet of references. The top two are members of the club whose partners are very similar to Daryl, that I stayed with in the past. The second two are parents that I actually babysat for. I want you to call at least one or two of them. I don’t want you to feel like you’re just letting a stranger into your home. Secondly, I want you to talk to Daryl. This will probably frighten him, considering his last experience with you gone. If the both of you agree, I would like to meet him before you leave. And maybe observe your routine for an evening. I don’t want him to regress and it seems as though he is very routine oriented.”

“He is,” Rick agreed. 

“I would also like for you to think about what you are and are not comfortable with.”

“What do you mean?”

“It can be as simple as where you want me to sleep, to whether or not you want me to discipline your partner. One of the names on that paper? Her puppy needed strict discipline every day, and asked me to continue that while she was gone. The other name? He preferred for me to make a note of every time his misbehaved and then did it himself when he got home. Take some time, Rick, there’s a lot to consider. Please call me anytime, night or day, if you have any questions. And I mean that, no matter how silly the question seems.”

“Thank you, Emma. I truly hope this works. It would be really nice to have someone I can depend on.”


	2. Daryl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Later that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daryl's Perspective. Also, sex.

Something was wrong with his master. Daryl knew it as soon as he came home. His steps were slower and his smiles were sad. He still pet Daryl and told him what a good boy he was as he let him out to go potty. Master left the door open so that he could go back in on his own. When he did, he heard Master talking in the kitchen. He crawled through the rooms and saw Master on the phone. He looked intense and Daryl wasn’t sure he liked that look. He went over to his toy basket and found his pacifier. It did not help soothe him as much as he wanted it to. He heard a strangled cry from the kitchen and crawled as quickly as he could to his master. Master was leaning over the counter trying to draw deep breaths; Daryl wondered if he was hurt. He didn’t see any wounds or smell blood so he crawled over to him, laid his head on his feet, and whined. 

He heard his master take deep breaths and then he moved. Daryl lifted his head as his master crouched down in front of him.

“Hey, there, sweetheart,” Master had tears in his eyes, “I’m sorry if I scared you. Something happened at work today.” He started petting Daryl’s head. “They want me to go to another precinct and help them with their Human Resources department.” Daryl listened intently. Rick had explained to him many times what he did, making absolutely sure that Daryl understood. He was thankful that his master had taken the time, because now it was very important to understand. “They want me to go to the northern part of the state,” Master was saying. “I’ll be gone all of next week.”

Daryl felt his heart stop. The last time Master was gone, the bad man, Shane, had hurt him.

“I’m not leaving you with Shane, Daryl,” Master knew what he was thinking. “I will never let anyone hurt you again. I found someone today who is willing to stay with you. She’s a very sweet girl. And she understands our lifestyle. She will not hurt you.”

Daryl heard Master’s words but he couldn’t process them. All he could think was that Master was going to leave him with a stranger. What if she was a bad person? Daryl felt panic rise in his chest.

“It’s ok, sweetheart, just breathe,” Master was holding his head in his strong hands. “I know how scary this is for you, Daryl. And I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I just need you to try, baby. Can she come over here tomorrow so that you can meet her? You don’t have to do anything different. You won’t have to wear clothes. She will not judge us. She’s very sweet and understanding. Will you try, sweetheart? For me?”

Master wanted him to try to meet the stranger. And he would do anything for Master. He nodded, he whined as he did it, but he nodded all the same.

“There’s my sweet, brave boy.” He kissed Daryl’s forehead. “Can we have bath night tonight? Make sure you’re all clean to meet Emma tomorrow?”  
Daryl nodded again. 

“I love you, Daryl,” Master said as he pulled Daryl into his arms.

“I love you, Master,” Daryl whispered against his master’s chest. 

Master tightened his arms around him after he spoke, silent praise for the words he shared. “I need to call her and then I’ll get dinner set up. Ok?”

Daryl nodded and his master let him go. He laid down on the floor next to his master’s feet and listened.

“Hi Emma, it’s Rick. Do you think you could come over tomorrow evening to meet Daryl?” There was a short pause. “Perfect, so 6?” Another pause. “Thank you so much, Emma. I’ll text you the address. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

As Master finished cooking dinner, Daryl stayed close by. He tried to remind himself that Master would take care of him, that what happened with the bad man wasn’t going to happen again. But fear kept creeping back through his chest. He was so scared he couldn’t really eat his dinner. He tried, because he knew Master would be upset if he didn’t eat. But he still only ate about half of his food. He crawled under the table and sat his head on Master’s lap. Master’s fingers started running through Daryl’s hair and Daryl leaned into the contact. 

“Finished already, buddy?” Daryl whined. “Here sweetheart. Is this what you want?” Master asked and Daryl whined again as his drew out his cock. Daryl latched on to him immediately and started sucking. He heard Master groan just before he came down Daryl’s throat. Master tugged gently letting Daryl know that it was time to let go of his cock. “Maybe we need to take the edge off tonight before bath,” Master said. “Would you like that, sweetheart?”

Daryl knew what that meant and he rubbed his face in Master’s lap and wagged his tail to say yes.

“Why don’t you go wait for me in the playroom?”

Daryl crawled to the spare room and laid himself across the breeding bench to wait for his master. It didn’t take long. Daryl heard his master’s footsteps and began to shake in anticipation. Master knelt down and strapped Daryl’s wrists to the legs of the bench. Then he ran his hand down Daryl’s back in a soft caress.

“I love you, Daryl,” he said. “I promise, I will always take care of you.” His hand reached Daryl’s backside and massaged him until Daryl felt his muscles relax. “Good boy,” Master said. Daryl felt his hand on his tail and Master gently pulled it from his body. Daryl whined as he felt himself being emptied.

“I want you to come tonight, sweetheart,” Master said and Daryl wiggled in anticipation. “Don’t hold it back, ok?” Daryl nodded. He heard the squeeze of the lube bottle and felt the cool gel being spread across his opening. He only had to wait a few moments more before his master was easing into him. He groaned as his master’s cock stretched and filled him.

“My sweet boy,” Master crooned. “You feel so amazing, Daryl.”

“Master,” he breathed as Rick pulled out of him slowly and then back in again. His own cock was almost painfully hard and dripping pre-cum on the floor.

“That’s it, baby,” his master picked up speed and then changed his angled so that his cock rammed into Daryl’s prostate. Daryl cried out at the sudden assault on that sensitive bundle of nerves. His master pummeled the spot over and over until Daryl felt the familiar pull that was going to take him over the edge.

“Let it go, baby. I want you to come for me, Daryl, let me feel you come.”

The words were Daryl’s undoing. He came hard, just as his master told him to. His ass clenched down around his master’s cock as his own shot out ribbon after ribbon of pearly white come. His master came inside of him only a moment later, he could feel the warmth spreading inside of him as all the tension was released from his body. His head hung down in exhaustion and satisfaction. Rick pulled out of him and unstrapped him from the bench. He ran his fingers through Daryl’s hair, giving him time to fully regain awareness. 

“Time for a bath, sweetheart. Is that ok?”

Daryl nodded sleepily and pushed himself to the floor. He followed Master to the bathroom and waited while the tub filled with water. He let his master bathe him and then brush his teeth. Just before bed, his master finally put his tail back in and Daryl was able to relax in the bed, snuggled up beside the person he loved most in the world. But just before he fell asleep, he remembered that tomorrow he had to meet a stranger. And all the attentions his master gave him that night, evaporated in a smoke of panic.


	3. Emma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Daryl meet.

Emma walked up to the little house with the privacy fence around the backyard just as the clock read 6pm. She was a little nervous. After speaking with Rick in the park yesterday, she drove straight to Kingdom and discussed the situation with Mistress Ann. They both decided that Daryl was a very special case, one that needed the utmost tenderness and care. From a case study standpoint, Emma found Daryl’s story fascinating. As a human being, she wanted to wrap her arms around the man and hide him inside of her own body. She’d always had a tender heart, but something about Rick and the way he talked about his lover made that tender heart swell and just about burst with emotions. 

Even though she felt like she had a lot of information about Rick and Daryl’s situation, she still felt her nerves rattle a bit as she knocked on the door. She waited a few moments before she heard Rick yell, “Be there in a minute!”

She smiled and wondered if her knock frightened Daryl, so she waited patiently. After several more minutes, the door finally opened to reveal a very frazzled looking Rick.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “We’ve had a difficult day. Come on in.”

She stepped into the entryway and saw the opening that led to the kitchen to the right and the livingroom to the left, but no Daryl. “No worries. Where’s Daryl?” She asked.

Rick sighed. “He heard the knock at the door and is now hiding in his kennel. We talked about it last night and he agreed to meet with you but I’m not sure what he’s going to do if I can’t actually get him to come out here.” He sounded so frustrated, but Emma thought that he was more frustrated at the situation as a whole than at Daryl.

“Rick,” she put her hand on his arm, “just take a breath. This is going to take some getting used to and that’s ok. Why don’t I go sit on the couch and you take your time with him. Give him what he needs, Rick. I’m a patient woman.”

“You’re an understanding woman,” he countered. She just smiled, patted his arm, and went to sit on Rick’s leather couch. She watched him disappear down the hall and heard soft words being spoken. She couldn’t understand them, but she could hear the tone. It was so easy to see how much Rick loved Daryl, that he would do anything to take care of and protect him. She looked around the room as she waited. There was a large tv mounted to the wall, an oversized armchair to the left of the couch, a bookcase on the opposite wall, full of books and dvds. The movie collection was decent, but she noticed there were no children’s movies, or books there. She wondered how Daryl would react to watching a Disney movie, especially if he was denied such things during his childhood. 

“C’mon, that’s my good boy,” she heard Rick’s voice and footsteps coming back down the hall. She smiled as he appeared and she looked down to his legs. Cowering behind his master was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. His dark hair was long enough that it fell in front of his sharp blue eyes, eyes that right now were full of terror. Her heart broke in two. He was so vulnerable, and not only because he was naked. He was a puppy in every sense of the word. He wore the mittens that Rick described. She could see him shivering and it made her want to cry.

“Hello, Daryl,” she said softly. She made a split second decision and slid slowly from her seat on the couch to the floor, so that she was eye level with him. “I’m Emma. It’s very nice to meet you,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about you from your master.” Rick took a step closer to her and Daryl followed suit, never straying far from the protection he so depended on. “I know you’re scared sweetheart, and that’s ok. It’s scary to meet new people. But I’d like to get to know you better. I won’t hurt you, sweet boy.” She hoped that he could hear how sincere she was. How anyone could hurt such a sweet angel was something she just couldn’t fathom. Rick knelt down and pet his hair for a minute.

“I’ll be right here,” he told Daryl. “You should go say hello.”

She wanted to tell Rick to not push him, but she held her tongue. He was the master here, after all. Daryl took a slow, scared step forward on his right hand, then another with his left. Rick stayed where he was but Emma’s eyes were only for Daryl. When he made it to the halfway point, Emma spoke softly again.

“That’s it, sweetheart. You’re doing so well.” He took a few more steps and she held her hand out, palm up, trying to show that she wasn’t a threat. He eyed her hand suspiciously, but took another step so that he was close enough to sniff at her outstretched fingers. She pulled her hand back to her chest impossibly slowly. He took another step toward her. She got one more step out of him and he was less than an arm’s length away from her.

“Can I touch you, Daryl? I just want to pet your hair.”

He hesitated for a moment before he gave her a small nod. She felt him stiffen when she touched her palm to his cheek and slid it up into his hair. She ran her fingers through it, it was so soft and silky. She never broke eye contact with him and finally he released a shaky breath and relaxed a bit. 

“Such a good boy,” she breathed. “You are the most precious angel I’ve ever seen,” she couldn’t stop herself before the words were out of her mouth. He took a step closer and she moved her hand to the back of his neck and then back up to his hair. “I’d very much like to stay with you Daryl, while your master is gone.” Daryl whimpered at her words. “I know, it’s scary and sad when he has to leave. But I promise I won’t hurt you, Daryl. I know I could never do as good a job as your master, but I’d like to take care of you.” 

Daryl made no reaction, so she knew she hadn’t quite won him over, but he also didn’t communicate ‘no’, so she still had some hope.

“I’m going to finish dinner,” Rick said as he stood. “Daryl, I would like for you to stay with Emma while I’m working in the kitchen.” The command was gentle but firm. Daryl whined again but nodded. Rick disappeared and Emma continued her ministrations on his head.

“Can I pet your back, Daryl?” She asked. He nodded but didn’t move and she smiled at him. “I’ll need you to move a little bit closer, sweetheart.” To her complete amazement, he did move. He crawled to her side and laid down on the floor, showing her his back. When her eyes fell to his skin, she felt her mouth open and her lips trembled. She had forgotten about the scars that Rick mentioned yesterday and she was not prepared to see those marks on his back. They were old, stretched, and smooth, but still very visible. It was obvious that he received most of these as a child and the thought of that made her want to vomit. She was glad Daryl couldn’t see her face and she did her best to hold it together. She ran her hand from his neck, down his spine, lifted her hand, rested it on his neck again and ran it back down his spine. She said nothing as she did this for several minutes. It took a long time, but she finally felt Daryl relax against her leg.

“Sweet angel boy,” she rewarded him with soft words when she felt the tension leave him. He sighed and her heart was singing. She was very careful with her touches, never going too far down his back, always going right back to the nape of his neck. She could hear Rick moving around in the kitchen as she thought of what to say or do next with Daryl. She didn’t want to frighten him and tried to think of something soothing.

“Daryl, do you like music?” He nodded his head. “I really like to sing,” she told him, “can I sing to you?” He nodded his head again. And now she wracked her brain for something soothing and came up with a Disney song.

She tried to sing very softly, making sure her voice was low.

“A dream is a wish your heart makes, when your fast asleep. In dreams you can lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams and someday your rainbow will come shining through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true.”

She continued with the instrumental part and while she did, she realized that miracles really can happen. As she sang, Daryl started to move. She lifted her hand from his back to let him move as he wanted. He scooted away from her and then laid his head in her lap, breathing deeply. She couldn’t believe it. Maybe, she thought, just maybe this will work after all. She started running her fingers through his hair as she finished up the song.

“No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true.”

“That’s one of my favorites,” she told him. “It’s from a movie called Cinderella. Have you ever seen that movie?” He shook his head. “Maybe next week, we can watch it together. Would you like that?” He nodded and she couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “Does that mean I can stay with you next week?” He nodded again.

“That’s my sweet, brave boy,” Rick’s voice from the doorway startled them both. 

Emma felt herself blush, “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough,” Rick smiled. “Is everyone ready for dinner?”

Daryl wagged his tail. Emma smiled down at him.

“That makes two of us,” she answered.

She and Rick sat at the table after he filled Daryl’s food and water bowl. 

“I appreciate you cooking dinner, Rick. I can’t remember the last time I had a home cooked meal,” she dug in to the roasted chicken and vegetables. “It’s just me,” she explained, “hard to cook for one.”

“I completely understand,” he told her. “If it’s easier, I can make some meals for the two of you and set them in the freezer so that all you’d have to do is put them in the oven.”

“Well,” she considered it, “I can cook, but if he has certain meals that he likes, that would probably be nice for him.”

“I can definitely do that,” he replied. “So Ann told me you were a master’s student?”

“Yes, sir, I’m still in my first year. Behavioral psychology.”

“Why that subject?”

She shrugged, “I wanted to help people. Specifically children.” Her eyes flicked to Daryl, who seemed to be very interested in his food, but she lowered her voice all the same. “Especially children who were abused.” Rick’s eyes followed Emma’s glance and she heard him sigh. “Rick,” she said softly and when he turned back to her, he had tears in his eyes. “He isn’t a case study for me. He isn’t something to be analyzed and fixed. He is who he is, and there is nothing, nothing wrong with that.” She smiled when he nodded at her with tears in his eyes. She took a few bites of chicken to give him time to compose himself before she asked, “Have you thought about some of the specifics of next week yet?”

“No,” he shook his head, “I wanted to talk to him first.”

“Ok,” she nodded, “just know that there’s very little that shocks me. Mistress Ann said that you were somewhat new to this lifestyle. I don’t want you to feel embarrassed if you need me to do something that’s,” she bounced her head a bit, “a little unconventional.” 

“Did you still want to observe us tonight?” He asked.

“I do, if that’s ok.”

“It is. I….I just want you to understand. This may seem crazy, but you’re taking care of me as much as him. There’s only one other person who knows about me and Daryl and I don’t share anything with him.” Emma realized that he was talking about the man who had abused Daryl while Rick was in the hospital.“I don’t really have anyone to talk about this with,” he said, looking at his food. She reached her hand across the table and placed it on top of his.

“Now you do,” she said with a smile.

They heard Daryl crawling towards them and their heads snapped over to him.

“C’mere sweetheart,” Rick called to him. Daryl crawled under the table and Emma leaned down to see Daryl lay his head on Rick’s knee. “So…” he hesitated, uncomfortable now, “this is something we do every night. After he finishes eating he likes to sit here and…..”

“Rick, if you’re uncomfortable, I can leave, but I assure you, it doesn’t make me uncomfortable,” she told him.

Rick stared at her for another moment, as though he was trying to decide if he truly wanted to be so vulnerable in front of a perfect stranger. But then Daryl whined and Emma watched him practically melt to give his lover what he needed. She heard the zipper of Rick’s pants just before he looked down at his pup.

“Sorry, buddy, go ahead,” he told him. She watched as Rick’s eyes closed in pleasure as Daryl took his cock into his mouth. “It comforts him,” he told her, “for some reason.”

“Go ahead,” she told him as she kept eating her food, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Which to them, she knew, it was. The conversation lagged for the next few minutes since Rick wasn’t really able to form a coherent word. She never stared and after a few moments, he seemed to realize that she wasn’t going to judge them and he relaxed enough to finally come down Daryl’s throat with a groan.

“Good boy,” he whispered, his voice a bit strangled. “You can suckle for a while,” he told his lover. 

“He likes to suckle,” she started the conversation back, needing to understand her charge a little better. 

“Yes, he has the dildos and pacifier, but this seems to help him more than anything.”

“That’s good for me to know,” she said. “Not that I can really help in that department, but if he seems a little despondent, I might have a better idea why.”

“I never really thought about it like that.”

“Well, you said the other day that he rarely speaks. So if there is something wrong, it will be a guessing game for me, at least at first.”

“I’ll have my phone on me the whole time, so if you have a question-”

“You have an iphone, right?”

“Yeah,” he answered.

“We can facetime every night,” she assured him. “It might help with the separation.” 

“I would like that,” he said, sadly.

They finished their meal and Rick took her through their day to day routine. They both watched as he let Daryl out to potty. She told him that she would actually be home sooner than he usually was, since she didn’t have a regular job and her last class ended at lunchtime. They determined that it would be best if she slept in Rick’s bed, so that Daryl could sleep with her if he wanted to.

As they walked through the house, talking about the next week, Daryl seemed to warm up to her more and more. She always made sure to include him in the conversation when she could and realized that Rick did the same. They talked about her obvious responsibilities, feeding, bathing, and brushing Daryl’s teeth. But soon the conversation changed as Rick showed her their playroom. Daryl withdrew from her at this point and trembled next to Rick.

“We always use the cross when he needs discipline,” Rick said, “but when I was in the hospital-”

He was interrupted by a whimper from Daryl.

“I know, sweetheart, but she needs to know,” he looked back up at Emma, “he doesn’t like to talk about it.”

“Of course,” she nodded.

“But I want you to know about this,” he sounded determined, “Daryl needs discipline. He wants to know that he’s been forgiven if he breaks the rules. When Shane looked after him….he needed to be disciplined. But Shane...not only did he use his belt,” Daryl whimpered again, “he left Daryl on the cross for too long. I always let him down immediately. After a spanking-”

“You take care of him,” she finished as she inspected the St. Andrew’s cross. “It’s what you’re supposed to do, as his master. It’s what he deserves, your love and care, sometimes your guidance with a firm hand,” she smiled at the two men. 

“You get it,” Rick said incredulously.

“I get it,” she dipped her head a bit. “How would you like for me to handle his discipline?”

Rick knelt so that he was eye level with Daryl. “I know you need to be disciplined right away, sweetheart. Will you be ok if Emma puts you on the cross? Twenty five smacks only with her hand, though. She’ll count, just like I do. And she’ll get you down right away.”

As he spoke, Emma walked over to them and knelt beside Rick so that Daryl could see her too. “I will never mistreat you, Daryl,” she told him. “I’ll only do what you and Master decide.” She reached her hand out slowly and touched his cheek. He leaned into her touch much to hers and Rick’s surprise. “Sweet angel boy,” she whispered. 

Once Daryl communicated that he was comfortable with the arrangement, it was time for her to go. 

“I’ll see you Sunday afternoon, sweet boy,” she told Daryl with one last pet on the head. She stood and looked at Rick. “Would it be alright if I brought some Disney movies and maybe some children’s books with me? Nothing scary, I promise.”

“Absolutely. Actually, I probably should have done that a long time ago,” he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, this way you’ll know what he likes and won’t have to go through all the trial and error on your own.”

“Thanks, Emma. We’ll see you Sunday?”

“I’ll be here, four o’clock, on the nose.” And with that she left the little house, thinking that Sunday couldn’t come soon enough.


	4. Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick gets ready to leave. Lots of fluff and feels.

The rest of the week passed too quickly for Rick. He did everything he could to make the next week easier for Emma and Daryl. He wrote down the schedule, made meals to freeze with instructions on how to heat them up. He wrote down everything he could think of that had upset or scared Daryl in the past. He wrote down what calmed Daryl, what was soothing, adding what he was comfortable with Emma doing. He thought long and hard about that. Daryl was his and he made it clear in his instructions that she was not to penetrate him, unless she needed to remove and replace his tail. But...Daryl was his and he wanted him to be taken care of. 

He tried to hide it from Daryl, how much just the preparation for next week was getting to him. But his pup could sense it. He started sucking on his thumb through his mittens again, something he hadn’t done in months. He wouldn’t eat, no matter how much Rick pleaded with him. He started taking his teddy bear with him everywhere. Rick would wake up in the middle of the night because he felt Daryl shaking in his arms. More often than not it was because his sweet boy was sobbing. Even though he had met Emma and Rick knew he liked her, he was still terrified. He tried to comfort him, but it didn’t seem to do as much good as he hoped it would. 

By Saturday, Rick was exhausted. But he was determined to have one good day with his lover before he left. It was walk and talk day and he hoped that Daryl would open up a bit about his fears. After breakfast, he laid out Daryl’s clothes and helped him dress and together they walked to the car.

Both of them were silent on the way to the park and Rick could tell that Daryl really wanted to go home. When they got there, he helped Daryl out of the car and they held hands as they walked around the park.

“Daryl,” Rick tried to start a conversation, “I wish that you would tell me why you are so scared about next week.” He knew that his boy thought that he wasn’t good with words and that he liked to think things through, so he waited while Daryl chewed the inside of his lip. 

“Do you,” Daryl finally broke the silence with his soft voice, “do you still want me, Master?”

“Of course I do, sweetheart! I love you, Daryl. I will always love you.”

“Then why are you leaving me?” 

Rick saw the tears in his eyes and felt his own. “If I could take you with me, I would. But it will be safer for you to stay home. It will only be a few days, I will talk to you every night, and I will come home to you as soon as I can. I may be leaving home, Daryl, but I am not leaving you. I will never leave you.”

“What happens if you’re in another accident?” Daryl cried.

“Is that what your really scared of? That I’ll be hurt again and can’t come home when I’m supposed to?” Daryl nodded. “If that happens, I think we can depend on Emma to stay with you. She cares about you very much, sweetheart. You won her heart over just as quickly as you did mine.”

“I don’t understand,” Daryl whispered.

Rick put his hand on Daryl’s neck. “Oh baby, if only you could see yourself the way I do. You are such a special man, Daryl. You can do this. I know you can. It won’t be like last time. Emma will take care of you, she will be good to you.” Daryl ducked his head and nodded.

“Is there anything that you need while I’m gone? Something I haven’t thought of yet?”

Daryl thought for a few minutes. “Can I wear my cage while you’re gone? I don’t want to come without you, Master.”

“Of course you can, baby.”

They spent the rest of the morning going through what Daryl was comfortable with when Emma would be there. Rick never let go of his hand while they were at the park. When they got home, Rick stripped them both and fucked Daryl hard over the breeding bench. Afterwards Daryl was so spent, Rick coaxed two orgasms from his pup, he couldn’t even crawl out of the playroom. Rick picked him up in his arms and carried him to their bed, where he covered his lover in soft kisses and touches.

“I love you, Daryl,” Rick told him over and over. Sometimes Daryl would say the words back, sometimes he would nuzzle or lick in reply. They spent the rest of the day in bed together, leaving only to eat dinner. Rick took Daryl three more times, all in their bed which was not their usual place. But Rick didn’t want to fuck Daryl, he wanted to make love to him. He held Daryl in his arms after each time. They bathed together after dinner, another thing they didn’t usually do. All the new sensations and the prospect of tomorrow was too much for Daryl and he broke down in Rick’s arms after he’d turned off the lights. 

“I’m sorry, Daryl. I’m so sorry. I love you, sweetheart. I love you so much,” Rick told him as Daryl cried into his chest. It took them a long time to fall asleep. Daryl finally settled into Rick’s chest. Rick listened to his lover breathe against him until he fell into an uneasy sleep.


	5. Daryl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl's POV as Rick leaves.

The last time Daryl had cried this much, he was a little boy, locked in a closet, recovering from a beating from his father that almost killed him. But that pain was different. It was only on his back and it burned. This pain was much different and hurt even worse. Every time he thought about Master leaving, he felt an ache in his chest and tummy. It hurt so much it took his breath away. Soon his head hurt too. He couldn’t eat, he barely slept. Emma was nice. He really liked it when she sang to him. But he hadn’t seen her for days, not since she had come over to their house. What if she didn’t come back? What if, if she came back, she wasn’t nice anymore? Daryl didn’t want his master to go. The only time he’d been away from Daryl was when he had his accident. And then he’d only been gone for one night. This time he’d be gone for much more than that. He needed his master.

But he couldn’t stop Sunday from coming. He and his master made love one final time in their bed, something Daryl was really starting to enjoy, before Master brought out his cock cage and locked it in place. It had been a few months since he’d worn it but he didn’t trust himself with Master gone and he hated coming when Master wasn’t there. It made him feel empty and alone. He was so thankful that Master understood. 

He stayed close by his master all day. Once Master shut his suitcase, he told Daryl all they had to do was wait for Emma to get there. They sat on the couch together with the tv on to wait. Daryl was cuddled so close to Rick, it was like he was trying to make their bodies meld together. 

All too soon they heard a knock at the door. “I have to go let her in, sweetheart,” Rick said as he leaned down and kissed Daryl on the head. Daryl felt even more tears leak out of his eyes. He stayed on the couch when he heard the door open.

“Hey,” he heard Emma’s voice, “you’ve had a rough day.”

“That is the understatement of the year,” his master said. “I’m really worried, Emma. He’s barely eaten for days. He cries more than he doesn’t. He started sucking his thumb again. I-”

“Rick,” she stopped him, “he’s scared. And after everything he’s been through, it’s only natural. You are the most important thing in his world and for the first time, you’re leaving him for a significant amount of time. Where is he?”

“On the couch.”

Daryl heard their footsteps approach and he buried his head in the cushions to hide his tears.

“Hi Daryl,” Emma’s soft voice came from behind him. He lifted his head and saw her kneeling on the floor. “Oh, sweetheart.” She reached her hand out and he let her put it on his tear soaked cheeks. She came when she was supposed to and she was still nice, he breathed a little easier. “It’s going to be ok. I brought some things for us to do while master is gone. I’ll take care of you.”

He really liked it when Emma called Rick ‘Master.’ It helped calm him for some reason, like she understood what Rick really was to him.

“Master and I have to talk about a few things and then I’ll come right back, ok?”

Daryl nodded. When his master and Emma walked to the kitchen, he crawled off the couch and went to his toy basket. He pulled out teddy bear with his teeth and took it to the couch. Then he went back and dug out his pacifier. He held it in his mouth as he crawled back up on the couch and held teddy bear close, the soft stuffed animal bringing minimal comfort.

“Are you sure you’re ok with that?” He heard Master ask Emma.

“I told you Rick, there’s very little that makes me uncomfortable. I’m perfectly fine with it. Is he?”

“He said he’ll try. That’s….unfamiliar territory for him, I think.”

“If he doesn’t like it, all he has to do is stop,” she replied.

“That’s what I told him,” Rick sighed.

“All of this is perfectly fine. It’s going to be ok, Rick. Why don’t you let me load the car and you spend a few more minutes with him.”

“You don’t have to-”

“I want to. Go hold him one more time.”

Daryl stayed still as he heard Master’s footsteps.

“Hey sweetheart,” Master said as he sat down beside Daryl’s head. He quickly crawled into his lap and nuzzled into his chest. He couldn’t hold the sobs back anymore.

“I’ll be back before you know it, baby,” Rick tried to comfort him, but Daryl felt tears fall on his head. “Emma will take good care of you. And you’ll be a good boy? Be a good boy for me. You promise?” Daryl nodded frantically, he would do anything for Master and if Master wanted him to be a good boy, he would be. He felt his master kiss the top of his head and hug him tightly. “I’ll call as soon as I get there. I love you, Daryl.” He loosened his grip and Daryl felt his body leave the couch. 

He knew Master was going to leave, they’d been preparing for it all week, talking about it, getting things ready. But even with all of that, nothing could prepare him for when Rick was actually leaving. Pure panic latched onto him and he jumped down from the couch, throwing teddy bear and spitting out the pacifier as he did. He crawled as fast as he could but he couldn’t catch his master as he walked out the door. He wouldn’t let Master leave, he couldn’t live without him, even if it was just a week, he couldn’t! 

He was going to crawl out the door and to the car to stop his master when strong, slender arms wrapped around his chest and stopped him before he could make it out the front door. He couldn’t stop the wail that escaped his from his soul and Rick turned to look back at him with tears in his eyes.

“I’ll be back soon sweetheart,” he called. “I love you.” And he got in his car and left. As he drove away, Daryl’s cries rang throughout the room. It felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest and he barely heard Emma’s words of comfort as his strength gave out and he collapsed on the floor.


	6. Emma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma POV after Rick leaves.

Emma held Daryl as he cried. After he fell to the floor, she was able to pull him back enough so that she could shut the door; no need for the neighbors to be rubberneckin’ into Rick and Daryl’s personal lives, she thought.

“It’s ok, sweetheart,” she soothed, but it did no good. She knew this was what Rick had been so afraid of and she could understand why. Daryl was so dependent on Rick, was so comforted by his presence that any kind of separation like this was bound to cause heartache.

“C’mon Daryl, let’s go lay on the couch.” She slid her arms around his chest and pulled him up to his hands and knees. “C’mon sweetheart, you can cry as much as you need to. But if we get to the couch, I can hold you better.” She kept one arm around him as he took slow steps toward the living room. She crawled with him, thinking it best to stay on his level. It seemed to work; they eventually made it to the couch and she pulled him up into her lap. He wrapped his arms around her stomach and held on to her as though she were the only thing keeping him tethered to sanity. She pet his hair and his back, all of her attention on him, saying soft words to him. But her spoken words seemed to do no good. Then she had one more thought.

She started singing the same song she had the day she met Daryl, the song from Cinderella. When she finished that one, she moved on to Feed the Birds from Mary Poppins. Then she sang Baby Mine from Dumbo. Then she sang the main song from Beauty and the Beast. And finally...finally, Daryl stopped crying and his breathing became steady again. She kept petting his hair and his back but took her hand away as he sat up. His face was coated in tears.

“Oh sweet angel,” her heart constricted. She reached her hands out slowly, giving him time to pull away if he wanted to. But he remained still as she put her hands on his cheeks and wiped his tears away. She wanted to take all of his pain and wipe it away as easily as she could his tears. “I can’t imagine how painful this is for you, sweet boy, but I’m here for you, whatever you need, ok?” He nodded and she breathed a sigh of relief; at least he could communicate. This was the part that she was the most nervous about. She was afraid that she couldn’t anticipate his needs the way Rick could. But she was determined to try.

“Are you hungry? It isn’t quite time yet for dinner.” He shook his head no. “Ok. I brought some fun movies with me. Do you want to lay on the couch and watch one with me?”  
She watched him consider her offer for a minute and then he slowly nodded his head. 

“Ok, good boy,” she praised him. “Do you want to come with me to get it out of my suitcase?” He nodded again. She stood up and he crawled off the couch. She walked slowly to the bedroom, trying to let him set the pace. She already had her suitcase laying on the bed. As she opened it, she knew he was watching her. She pulled out her stack of dvds and decided on Winnie the Pooh. She led the way back to the living room, with Daryl close on her heels.

“Why don’t you pick out some toys to bring on the couch,” she told him, “while I get the movie set up?” Thankfully, Rick’s dvd player was a simple one and she figured everything out quickly. She brought the remote to the couch as the menu popped up, sat down, and pressed play. Daryl was already on the other end of the couch, holding a teddy bear under one arm and a pink dildo in his other hand. It must be one the dildos that Rick told her about, one that was specifically used for him to suck on.

“C’mere sweet angel boy,” she called to him with her arms open. He obeyed immediately and crawled into her lap. She positioned him so that his head was laying on the arm of the couch and she was more or less behind him. She could see over his shoulder and saw that he was watching the movie while sucking on the toy that he held in his mittened hands. Once she felt settled, she started petting him again.

Winnie the Pooh played happily across the screen but Emma spent the whole time watching Daryl. His eyes stayed glued to the screen. By the time Pooh tried to float to the top of the honey tree, he had stopped sucking. And when he got stuck in Rabbit’s door, she saw the corner of his mouth turn up in a small smile. 

She checked her watch. “I’m going to put dinner in the oven, sweet boy. Will you stay here?”

He nodded never taking his eyes from the screen. She leaned down and softly kissed the top of his head before she crawled out from behind him. 

She pulled the meatloaf out of the freezer and followed the instructions for putting it in the oven. Once she was finished, she checked that Daryl was still on the couch and content and turned her attention to the five pages of notes Rick left for her. Five pages, front and back, hand written. She could see where he’d gotten frustrated and scratched things out or when he’d written his instructions in such a hurry, the handwriting becoming almost illegible. 

The notes detailed what meal she should cook for which night. His bedtime routine, outside bathroom routine. Where the key for his cock cage was, just in case. He had thought of everything. He reminded her of the parent that leaves their first born with the babysitter for the first time. But she couldn’t fault him for it, the more information she had the better. And it truly showed how much Rick loved and understood Daryl. She felt her heart swell for Rick, who had stumbled through this for the past two years, with no one to ask for help. Just trial and error trying to figure out what Daryl needed. And loving Daryl for who he is, no matter what. It was truly remarkable that they found each other.

At the bottom was that last thing they’d talked about. It was only slightly sexual, and even though it was his idea, she could tell that Rick was barely comfortable with it. It was a testament to how much he loved Daryl that he even suggested it. He said that he’d talked to Daryl about it. She thought she might broach the subject when they went to bed. 

She went back to the living room just in time for Tigger to make his appearance. She stopped at the end of the couch, just watching him watch the movie. He had the cutest crooked smile, like he couldn’t make every part of his lips turn up but he still tried nonetheless. He didn’t realize that she was watching him and she was able to witness unadulterated, pure joy in his face as he watched a children’s movie for the first time. The innocence he had was captivating and she felt herself naturally drawn to him. He amazed her, that after everything he’d been through he managed to find joy in his life.

She crawled back on the couch, sliding in behind him. Once she was settled, he leaned back against her chest and sighed. 

“Can I put my arm around you, Daryl?” She asked. He nodded and she slid her arm around his naked chest and just held him. They stayed that way until the movie was over. 

As the last few notes faded out, the timer on the oven went off and Emma got back up from the couch.

“That’s dinner, sweet boy. Why don’t you go potty and I’ll get your bowls ready.” He rubbed his head against her leg before he led the way to the back door. She let him out and went to fix their dinner. She cleaned out and refilled his water bowl and then cut up his meal into easy bites, the way Rick instructed. Then she fixed her own plate. 

When she went to the door, he was already there. “Such a sweet boy,” she pet his hair once, “dinner’s all ready.” He wagged his tail and they went to the kitchen to eat. Daryl finished before she did and he crawled under the table, laid his head on her feet and let out a heartbroken whine.

“I know, sweetheart,” she said. “He should call soon. Here,” she reached under the table and waited until he took the pacifier from her hand. “I thought you might need something to suckle while I finished.” He rubbed his head against her leg and then laid back down. She could hear the soft noises of him doing his best to soothe himself. She’d only been there a few hours and she could already feel the place in her heart that Daryl was unknowingly carving for himself. It was a bit unnerving when she realized that for once in her life, she didn’t want to be anywhere else.


	7. Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick is in North Georgia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the wonderful comments! I've been blown away by all the great feedback! Please keep them coming. Just wanted to give everyone a heads up: It'll be a few more chapters before Rick gets back. I've posted more than I thought I would but I am going to try to slow down, just a bit. I'm in the middle of writing chapter 17 right now and I still don't know how long this will end up being, so I hope y'all can stick around for the long haul!

The drive to his hotel on Lookout Mountain was agonizing. The traffic alone would have made it that way, but thinking about what he’d had to leave behind made his heart ache in places he didn’t know he had. He knew Daryl was in good hands with Emma. He was so thankful that he’d found her. When he was with her, talking to her, listening to her, she brought him a calm he didn’t know he needed. But now that he was by himself, that feeling was nowhere to be found. He hoped that she was able to calm his pup down by the time he was out of Atlanta; Daryl was so upset when he left, the image of him trying to get out the door would be forever burned into his mind. He tried to focus on calling Emma once he was in his hotel room and that was the only thought that kept him going for the next two hours.

The first thing he did once he was in his hotel room, was connect to the internet and facetime Emma. She picked up right away.

“Hey!” She greeted him with a smile. “How was the drive?” He could see her moving around the house.

“Long and boring,” he answered, “Traffic getting out of Atlanta was awful. Where’s Daryl?”

“Outside,” he heard the sliding glass door open and she called, “Daryl, guess who’s on the phone! Come on sweet boy!” She turned back to Rick. “We just finished dinner a few minutes ago. I think he wanted to go roll around in the grass a bit.”

Rick chuckled, “Yes that’s usually a post meal ritual. Did he eat well?”

“Every bite,” she said.

“Good,” he exhaled, “he hasn’t been eating much the past few days.”

She nodded in understanding, then looked down, “Come on, buddy, let’s go to the couch, ok?” Then she was moving again. “Ok,” she sat down and he saw Daryl jump up beside her, “Look who it is!”

“Hey, baby!” Rick smiled as wide as he could. Daryl gave him his lopsided grin, but his eyes were sad. “Are you being a good boy for Emma?” He nodded. “I miss you so much, Daryl.” He whined in reply and Rick thought his heart might be breaking. “What have y’all been doing?”

Emma’s face came back into the frame but she was careful to keep Daryl in the center of the screen. “We watched Winnie the Pooh not long after you left and then ate dinner. He’s been out a couple of times and we were just about to discuss what to do next.”

“Did you like the movie, sweet boy?”

Daryl nodded enthusiastically and he felt another pang at not having thought to do that sooner. 

“I think Tigger was a fan favorite,” Emma said as she smiled at Daryl and he rubbed his head against her arm. “We had a few rough minutes at first,” she admitted, “but he’s letting me hold him and pet him and I think it’s helping.”

“Emma, I can’t even begin-” he felt himself tearing up….again.

“I know. We’re going to be just fine Rick,” he saw her rub Daryl’s hair and then turn to his pup. “Is it ok if I talk to Master for a little bit? I can turn Winnie the Pooh back on.” He watched as Daryl rubbed his head against Emma’s collarbone. “Ok, sweetheart. Can you give Master a quick kiss?” Daryl nosed at the screen.

“I love you so much, Daryl,” Rick said and Daryl gave another soft whine. Emma came back into the frame. 

“I’m going to hang up and call you back, old school phone conversation style,” she smirked.

“Sounds good,” he said as she hit the end button. His phone rang a moment later and he answered it and put it up to his ear.

“I hope you don’t mind,” she said. “I wanted us to have a chance to talk.”

“I thought everything was ok?” He started to feel some panic.

“Everything is ok, Rick. With us. But you’re not ok and if you need to talk, I didn’t want him to see you get upset.”

He could hear the beginnings of the movie in the background. “What’s he doing?” Rick asked as he let his tears fall.

“He’s watching the movie again and playing with his toys. He’s working on the stump. The one-

“With the squirrels,” Rick finished thickly.

“Talk to me, Rick,” she demanded.

“I didn’t think I could miss him this much. When I was in the hospital earlier this year, I did nothing but worry about him, but this is different and I...I can’t figure out why.”

“Well, for one thing, you’re farther away,” she said, “it took you what, three hours to get there?”

“A little bit over,” he answered.

“You’ve never been this far from him before. Or for this long. It’s ok to feel this way, Rick. I also think that the few days before you had to leave actually made everything worse for the both of you.”

What she said made a lot of sense to Rick, but it still hurt and his tears fell on his jeans in quiet splashes. “How do you figure all this out so quickly?” He asked.

“I honestly don’t know,” she chuckled sadly. 

“Well whatever it is, it helps.”

“I’m glad,” she replied.

“I couldn’t do this without you, Emma. And I don’t just mean you staying with him. I’ve never really had anyone that I could talk about all this with.”

“I’m always here to listen, Rick. I do have to say though, I think it’s damn impressive that you have done all this on your own for so long.”

“Well, I did do a lot of research when I realized that he was more comfortable as a puppy than a human.”

“Still,” she countered, “figuring it out on your own….it shows how much you love him. Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” he said.

“How long did it take you to realize that you loved him?”

“I knew I loved him that first night he stayed at my house. When he was so scared of not using a fork to eat with that he hid under my table, I thought my heart would break.   
Maybe it did,” he shrugged, “but if it did, all that meant was there was more room for him. It was instant, as easy as breathing.”

“I can see that happening,” she replied. “Hey sweet boy,” he heard her say. “Sorry, I think he wants some snuggles.”

“Go on,” he urged her, “give him some extra ones from me.”

“I will,” she promised.

“I’ll call you tomorrow. I’m not sure what time.”

“I’ll keep my phone close.”

“Night, Emma.”

“Night, Rick.”

And he hung up the phone, wishing more than anything that he could go home. But not just to Daryl. He wanted to go home to Emma too and that feeling was impossible to understand.


	8. Daryl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl's first night without Rick and first full day with Emma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because it's Monday. Hope you enjoy!  
> Comfort sucking and spankings in this one.

The first night without his master was painful. Daryl missed him so much. Emma asked him where he wanted to sleep and the idea of sleeping in the bed without Master hurt. But the idea of sleeping alone even more so. He may not be as familiar with Emma, but he knew she would hold him and that was what he needed. 

So he waited until she got under the blankets of Master’s bed and then he climbed up next to her. She made sure the blankets were out of his way and he crawled under them and curled up next to her. He could smell his master’s scent on the sheets and it brought more tears to his eyes.

“It’s ok, Daryl,” Emma ran her fingers through his hair and pulled the blankets up over his body. When she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, he couldn’t stop the tears falling from his eyes. “I know, sweetheart.” He whined into her chest. “Did you like talking to Master earlier?” He nodded. “Did it make you feel better to see him?” He nodded again, but kept crying. “What do you need, sweet angel boy? What can I do?”

He didn’t know how to answer her. He brought his covered thumb up to his mouth to suck on it through his mitten while he thought about her question.

“Do you need to suckle on something?” She asked once she realized what he was doing. He nodded, but she didn’t say anything for a long time. “Daryl, did Master talk to you about how you could use me to do that?”

He thought about her words and remembered the conversation that he and Master had two days ago. He told Daryl that Emma didn’t have a cock to suck on like he did, but she did have breasts. Daryl knew this. He remembered these details from when he was younger, living on the streets, but he didn’t like to think about those days and he was glad when Master reminded him. He told Daryl that he knew how much it comforted him to suck at his master’s flesh and that if he needed that, if he was comfortable with it, Master was ok with him sucking on Emma’s breasts.

He nodded to answer her question.

“Would you like to try?” She asked gently. He recognized that it was a true question, she would be fine with whatever he decided to do. He whined not knowing what to do, or even how to do it. “Have you ever touched a woman’s chest before, angel boy?” He shook his head. She removed her arm from his body and he felt her moving, not sure at first why. “Give me your hand, sweetheart.” He held it up and she took it, placing it on the flat part of her chest. She waited a few moments before she said, “Can you feel my heartbeat?” He nodded and then she slid his hand down until he felt something large, round, and fleshy. “That’s my right breast,” she told him, then she moved his hand again, “this is the left one. Can you feel the nipple?” She let him move his hand on his own. He explored until he felt a little nub through the fabric of his mitten. “There it is,” she told him. “That’s where you would put your mouth and suck. My nipple will get hard, but other than that, nothing else will happen. My breasts won’t lactate and I won’t come like Master does, so I may eventually have to tell you to stop. But if you want to see if it helps, sweet angel, you can.”

He rubbed her breast with his hand for another minute, trying to decide. Master had told him that he had permission. He missed his master so much and his pacifier and dildo hadn’t brought him the comfort he thought it would. Emma’s breast felt warm and soft, like Master’s cock before he got fully hard. He put his face closer to Emma’s chest, removed his hand, and touched his nose to her breast. It was soft, almost bouncy. He nosed at her flesh until he found the nub again. He sniffed for a moment and then opened his mouth and latched onto it. Emma held the base of her breast for him while he figured out what to do. 

There was a lot more to her breast than to Master’s cock and at first, he tried to take as much of it in his mouth as possible, but that wasn’t very comforting. So he released a little bit at a time and focused more on her nipple and started sucking. It reminded him of his pacifier, but it was warm and much softer. He felt the little nub harden but everything else stayed just as soft.

“How’s that sweet boy?”

Daryl hummed around her nippled in pure contentment. It wasn’t as good as Master’s cock, but it was a very close second. It was the comfort he’d been longing for ever since Master left. He felt his tears stop and his heart rate finally slow. He took deep breaths through his nose as he suckled her. 

“I’m going to let it go now,” she told him, but he couldn’t really tell much of a difference, his sucking held her breast in place. She ran her fingers through his hair and he felt himself truly relax. His eyes fluttered closed, her nipple on his tongue the last thing he remembered before slipping out of consciousness.

 

Monday morning Emma and Daryl both jolted awake at the sound of the alarm on her phone. She let him out right away but left the back door open while she showered. He came back inside and was waiting for her on the bed when she came back in, wrapped in nothing but a towel.

“Good morning sweet angel boy,” she greeted him. He loved being a sweet angel boy. He rolled on his back and she rubbed his tummy. It felt nice and he wiggled in response. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Are you hungry?”

He nodded vigorously and smiled at her.

“Ok, let me get some clothes on and I’ll fix breakfast. Master left us lots of breakfast food so I’ll need you to help me pick something ok?” He wiggled again. He missed Master but he was glad Emma was here. Last night had been so nice. He hoped she’d let him suck at her breasts again. He waited patiently on the bed while she got dressed. Then they went to the kitchen and he helped pick out breakfast, just like she told him he could. They ate in the kitchen together and then she had him pick out a toy to have with him in his kennel while she was gone.

She walked with him to his kennel after he’d gone to pee one last time. He crawled in and she knelt down to give him one last pet.

“I have to run to the grocery store after my class and then I’ll be back sweet angel.” She gave him a guilty smile, reached behind her and pulled his purple dildo out of her back pocket. “I know Master said only one toy, but I didn’t want you without something to suckle on today. You ok with that?” He gave her a guilty but happy little yip and she scratched behind his ears. “It’ll be our little secret.” She locked the kennel door and stood. “I’ll see you soon, Daryl.”

The day was longer than he thought it would be. He missed Master but now he missed Emma too. He held teddy bear close to his chest with his arms and sucked at the dildo that he held in his mittened hands. He felt guilty for missing Emma. It wasn’t that he missed her more than Master, but he wasn’t sure if he should miss her as much as he did. It was a confusing feeling and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like complicated feelings. He decided to talk to Master when he returned and they went on a walk and talk day.

He spent the rest of the day napping, cuddling with teddy bear, and sucking on the purple dildo. He was snoozing when the front door opening woke him up.

“I’m back,” he heard Emma’s voice call and he couldn’t help but wag his tail in utter happiness. “Hello, sweet boy!” She said when she entered the room. She opened his cage and he crawled out. “Let’s go outside ok?” He crawled behind her as she led the way and he went to his spot in the yard to relieve himself. Then he hurried back to the door and waited until she let him in. She knelt down once he was inside the door and he nuzzled into her chest.

“What a welcome home greeting!” She laughed. “Were you ok while I was gone?”

He nodded and nuzzled, loving the feel of her warmth. She wrapped her arms around him and he felt safe. The only other person who made him feel safe was Master. She kissed the top of his head as she held him. 

“Sweet angel boy,” she called him again. “I have some work I have to do and then we can do something together before dinner. How does that sound?”

He wagged his tail and followed her as she went to the kitchen. She had lots of big books spread out on the table. He was intimidated by them. He went to his toy basket and grabbed the stump with his teeth and went back to the table. Emma was settled and working, so he crawled under the table and laid at her feet and set about trying to get the squirrels out of the stump. 

He stayed that way for a while. Every so often he could hear Emma huff in frustration and scribble on some paper. He pulled the first squirrel from the stump, gripped it in his teeth, and sat it on her lap in pride.

She looked down and saw him and smiled. “Did you give me this?” He wagged his tail. “Good boy,” she rubbed his hair. “You are so sweet.”

She worked until he’d gotten every squirrel out and given them to her. “Will you give me the stump?” She asked him. He did and she pushed the squirrels back into it. “C’mon,” she stood from the chair, “let’s go read. I brought some fun books with me.”

They went to the living room and cuddled on the couch. She read three books to him. The first one was about three baby owls who think their mother abandoned them. He felt very nervous until the end when the owl mother returned. The second book confused him because there really was no Jessica, until the very end. The third book he liked very much. It was about a dog who lived in a bookshop. When one character called her a sweet angel dog, it made him think of Emma calling him a sweet angel boy. He liked it very much. 

Emma left then to put dinner in the oven, but she told him he could flip through the book, if he wanted to, as long as he was careful. He definitely wanted to, but it was hard because of his mittens. He just wanted to look at the pictures of the dog, but every time he tried to flip the page, his mittens caused him to turn one too many. It was frustrating. He tried and tried, but he soon lost his patience and he tried too hard. The page he’d been trying to turn as well as the one behind it, ripped loudly up the middle of the page. He let out a small yelp once he’d realized what he’d done. Emma told him to be careful and he wasn’t careful! 

“Daryl?” Emma walked briskly into the living room, startled by his yelp. He jumped down from the couch and hid behind the opposite end of it. She walked over to the front of the couch, saw him cowering and saw the ripped book on the couch. She crouched down in front of him. “Did you rip the book?” She asked softly. She didn’t sound mad, but he still had been bad. He nodded and whined. “It’s ok, Daryl, it was an accident.” But she didn’t call him sweet angel boy, so he wasn’t forgiven. She reached out to pet him, but he crawled under her arm and moved quickly to sit in front of the door to the playroom. When he realized that she had followed him, he put his head down and whined. He wouldn’t look up at her, but she didn’t say anything. They were silent for sometime, then he heard something that made him tremble.

“Rick?” Her voice said. She was telling Master, he thought, telling him what a bad boy he was. And he hadn’t been punished yet. “I’m sorry to bug you, but I have a question. Do you have a minute?” He waited a moment before he heard her tell Master how he ripped the book. “I know it was an accident,” she said, “but he’s very upset and he’s sitting in front of the playroom door. I just wanted to make sure he was telling me what I think he’s telling me.” She was silent for a minute. “Uh huh.” Silence. “Uh huh.” She crouched down in front of him and held the phone to his ear. “Master wants to speak to you,” she said gently.

“Daryl?” He heard Master’s voice and he whined in reply. “Did Emma tell you to be careful?” He whined once for yes. “Were you careful?” Two whines for no. “Do you need to be punished?” One whine. “Ok. Lie down so that I can speak to Emma.” He did as he was told and Emma put the phone back to her ear.

“Rick?” More silence. “You’re sure?” Pause. “Yes of course, just as we discussed.” She waited again. “Ok, thank you. I’m sorry to bug you. Facetime us tonight when you can. I’ll text you in a little bit.” She hung up the phone. “Master has given me permission to punish you Daryl,” she said as she opened the door. He immediately crawled to the St. Andrew’s cross and then stood with his arms raised. Emma cuffed his wrists and then his ankles. “He said that I’m to give you twenty-five smacks with my hand, but I have to remove your tail first.” He whined, but bowed his head. Master knew how to punish him best and he’d been bad. He felt it when her hand gripped his tail. “I’m going to take it out now. I’ll go slow. Take a deep breath for me.” He inhaled. “Let it out, slowly,” she instructed. He did so, and she pulled his tail out gently. Once it was out, he whined at the empty feeling inside of him. “I know,” she sighed sadly. “I’m going to count, ok?” He nodded but kept his head bowed and tried to relax when the first blow came. She didn’t hold back, like he thought she would and he flinched at the stinging pain on his backside. “One,” she told him. “Two,” landed on his other cheek. She alternated every other side of his ass with each smack and she counted after every one. It was absolutely no different from the way Master punished him and he drew comfort from that.

“Twenty-five,” she finished, a little out of breath. He heard her walk out of the room and come back immediately. “I’m going to put the lotion on you first, sweetheart,” he sighed when he heard her words. He was a sweetheart again. The lotion was cool on his stinging skin but he couldn’t stop the whine that escaped his throat. “I’m sorry, baby.” She finished rubbing the lotion in and unbuckled the restraints on his ankles. She stood behind him so that her chest was almost touching his back. “Lean back against me, angel when I unbuckle your wrists.” When she did so, he leaned back. She supported him and lowered them both to the floor. She held him in her arms and he was able to look up at her. He couldn’t understand why her cheeks were wet. He pushed himself up and licked a tear that was rolling down her face. “Oh my sweet angel boy,” she smiled. “You’re forgiven,” her last words were whispered just before she kissed his forehead. 

She put his tail back in and they ate dinner together. Afterward, she asked him to pick a movie. He nosed at Winnie the Pooh and she smiled, rubbed his head, and immediately put the movie on. They snuggled on the couch and Daryl felt peaceful. It always made him feel better to be punished if he had been bad. And now he knew that he was forgiven and he didn’t have to worry about Emma still being mad at him.

Master called again so that Daryl could see him and even though he didn’t understand how it all worked, it was so nice to see his master.

“Any more incidents?” Rick asked Emma.

“Of course not,” she smiled.

“That’s my good boy,” he smiled at Daryl. After the call ended, he stayed on the couch with Emma until bedtime. One last outside break later, they were both in the bed, Daryl’s mouth latched on to her breast. She ran her fingers through his hair and sang to him once again. 

Just as he was falling asleep, he heard her whisper in his ear. “Such a beautiful sweet angel boy.”


	9. Emma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the week progresses, Emma becomes more attached to Daryl and faces a new, unexpected problem.

By Tuesday, Emma was falling head over heels in love with Daryl. His innocence, his joy, his heart. He loved unconditionally and she found herself craving his company. The next two days were the most wonderful of her life. The mornings were hurried, but she woke up next to him, since he slept in the bed with her. Breakfast, bathroom, then off to class. She would spend the next few hours barely paying attention in class, wishing she was back in Rick’s little house snuggled on the couch with Daryl. Then there was lunch, the few errands she needed to run, and then she would drive happily back to Daryl. Once there, they would spend time playing in the yard, working at the kitchen table (granted, he would be under it, trying to get the squirrels out of the stump), and then watching movies while dinner warmed up in the oven. They would talk to Rick and then a little more tv before bed. By Wednesday night, Emma ended up sleeping topless to give Daryl better access to her breasts. She would run her fingers through his hair or rub his back as he suckled at her, until he fell asleep. He wanted nothing from her, he asked nothing of her. She loved him, she took care of him, and he loved her with reckless abandon. She couldn’t remember the last time someone looked at her with as much love and trust as Daryl did.

Thursday started out the same way. Class was boring, lunch was lonely, and errands ran long, but she was back by three o’clock that afternoon. After she let him out in the backyard, she spent a lot of time rubbing and playing and giving Daryl lots of attention. They finally settled down at the kitchen table, her schoolwork was spread out in front of her, Daryl at her feet, but she had a hard time concentrating. Her phone kept going off and even though she’d turned it on vibrate, it was still distracting. The first one was from Rick, and that one she didn’t mind at all.

'It may be closer to 9 before I can call tonight. These people are idiots.'

She replied: 'Lol, I’ll tell Daryl. Maybe I can convince him to watch something other than Pooh. Don’t tell them they’re idiots. Idiots generally like to be kept in the dark about their idiocy.'

Rick: 'Wow, I’ll have to remember that. Also you started something, you can only blame yourself.'

Emma: 'I know, which is why I’ll be leaving the disk here so that you can feel the joy too ;)'

Rick: 'Oh god, please no.'

Emma: 'Working on school stuff, text you later?'

Rick: 'Please god, yes. Save my brain from turning to mush amongst all this idiocy.'

Emma: 'Lol, can do!'

She looked under the table and pet Daryl’s hair. ”It’ll be later tonight before Master can call us, sweetheart. He just text me to let me know.” Daryl dropped his head and whined. “I know, angel, but we’ll stay busy until he calls.” She got back to her work and was allowed ten minutes of peace before it buzzed again.

Mistress Ann: 'Hey! Hadn’t heard from you in a few days, wanted to see how things were going.'

Emma: 'Things are great! I’ve been with Daryl since Sunday night. Rick left VERY detailed instructions but they’ve been a huge help. We only had one incident that required a punishment and even that went well. He’s at my feet right now, playing. He is the most amazing person I’ve ever been around. I’m in love. So in love.'

M. Ann: 'I’m so glad things worked out! You shouldn’t be surprised the punishment went well. You know what a submissive needs and can handle. AND you know what a dominant needs in the way of control. Did you call Rick before or after the punishment?'

Emma: 'Before, lol.' 

M. A.: 'Good girl.'

Emma: 'Thank you Mistress.'

M. A.: 'We’ll find a match for you yet, baby.'

Emma didn’t reply to that one. She hated keeping secrets from her mistress, but she wasn’t quite ready to tell her that she might have found someone. She knew Ann would advise her against dating someone outside of the lifestyle, but she really wanted to see where things would go with Spencer. They’d met at the beginning of the semester; he was in his last year of his bachelor's degree and was considering the same master’s degree she was getting. He was cute, clever, a little arrogant, but she liked it. They’d had coffee a few times but nothing more than that. She still hadn’t told him that she enjoyed the BDSM lifestyle; that was not a coffee conversation and she worried about how he would react.

It was then that she realized that she hadn’t thought about Spencer since Sunday. She’d been so focused on Daryl that she hadn’t given him a second thought. But it didn’t bother her; she’d rather spend the time with Daryl. 

Her phone buzzed again and she finally slammed her book shut. She wasn’t getting much done anyway. She picked up her phone, hoping it might be Rick again, only to feel her heart fall when she saw Spencer’s name on the screen.

Spencer: 'Hey, haven’t seen you all week, what are you up to?'

Emma: 'Been house sitting this week, haven’t been on campus much.'

It was close enough to the truth, but Emma still felt a little uneasy, like he’d know she wasn’t being completely truthful.

Spencer: 'You wanna hang out tonight?'

Emma: 'Can’t tonight. I have to stay here, the owner has pets.'

Her stomach clenched. The lie was to protect Daryl, but she hated referring to him as a pet. He was so much more than that.

Spencer: 'Where’s here? I can come to you.'

It was what she’d been hoping for, a chance to be around Spencer in an intimate setting, really see what kind of chemistry they had. But the timing couldn’t have been worse. Even if what she told Spencer was true, she still wouldn’t feel comfortable bringing a strange man into someone else’s home, someone who trusted her. 

Emma: 'I really want to hang out, but I just can’t tonight.' 

Spencer: 'I don’t really see why not, just send me the address, I can be there soon.'

Emma: 'No. I can hang out next week.'

Spencer: 'You really shouldn’t be telling me no.'

Emma: 'Too bad.'   
She imagined little red flags popping up in her head. She’d never seen this side of him before and she wasn’t sure she liked it.

Spencer: 'I really thought you’d be more willing than that.'

That message sent chills down her spine; it was like he knew, knew that she had submissive qualities and was trying to exploit them. This was dangerous and she had to end it. 

Emma: 'Sorry not sorry to disappoint. Don’t text me again.' 

She sent the text and then blocked his number, trembling. What had started out as so promising, completely blew up in her face. Her trembles turned to shuddering gasps and before she knew it, she was sobbing.

Daryl was immediately alerted to her distress and sat up so that he could lay his head on her lap. He whined in concern and that made her cry even harder. She wanted what he and Rick had, she wanted to be someone’s, wanted someone to be hers. It wasn’t fair that they could find each other by sheer happenstance and she couldn’t find a soul to match hers, no matter how hard she tried. She sobbed harder and Daryl whined even more. Eventually, she couldn’t resist the comfort he wanted to give. She slid out of the chair to the floor, wrapped her arms around Daryl and sobbed into his neck. He remained still, letting her hang onto him. Every so often he would nuzzle the side of her head or lick her ear, letting her know that he was still there, that he was there for her.

She finally calmed down, gave Daryl one last squeeze and pulled away from him, wiping her eyes. “I’m sorry sweetheart. I didn’t mean to worry or scare you.” He whined. “I’m just tired of being alone.” Daryl whined again. “But enough about all that,” she tapped his nose. “Thank you for being here for me, angel boy.”

As she made dinner, she tried to forget about Spencer. But there was something about his words that just made her skin crawl. There was no way he could have known she was into the scene but she still worried. Her mind was skimming through all of her social media, wondering if she’d given a clue there, when her phone buzzed again. She looked at it with trepidation but sighed in relief when she saw it was Rick.

Rick: 'Hey, where’d you go?' 

Emma: 'Sorry, got distracted.'

Rick: 'Is everything ok?'

Emma: 'Daryl’s fine.'

Rick: 'Is everything ok with you?'

She didn’t reply, not knowing what to say.

Rick: 'Emma, talk to me.'

As gently as the order was given, it was still an order and Emma felt herself shiver in response to the Dom’s command

Emma: 'I was kinda seeing a guy from the psychology department but he was coming on too strong today. Said some things that made me question his motives. I ended it, but I don’t think he’ll take too kindly to it.'

Rick: 'If this guy’s harassing you, I’d like to help.'

Emma: 'Not sure there’s anything you can do.'

Rick: 'You do remember that I work for Atlanta PD right?'

Emma: 'I doubt it’ll come to that. I blocked his number, hopefully he’ll take the hint.'

Rick: 'If he doesn’t, you’ll let me know.'

It wasn’t a question.

Emma: 'I will. I promise. How are the idiots?'

Rick: 'Still idiotic. This place is still a mess. They wanted me to stay another week, but I told them no. If they can’t figure their shit out then not even Jesus could help them at this point.'

Emma: 'I don’t think Daryl would approve if you stayed another week. He misses you.'

Rick: 'I miss him too, so much.'

Emma didn’t really know what to say to that. She knew she should be happy that Rick was coming home as scheduled. But she couldn’t help but want more time with Daryl. She’d tried to not think about it too much. They’d agreed that she should stay until Saturday morning, since Rick was unsure of when he’d be leaving Lookout Mountain.  
She was still thinking when she heard her phone buzz again.

Rick: 'And I miss you, if I’m being honest.'

She had to read through the words several times as the meaning of them sank in. She bit her lip as she typed, wondering if she dared to do this.

Emma: 'I miss you too.'

When Rick called that night, neither of them mentioned the text conversation they had, and that was fine with her. It was too confusing and she just didn’t want to deal with it right then. Daryl needed her and that was what mattered. Rick’s absence was really wearing on him and she thought that maybe their facetime call that night did more harm for him than good. Rick tried to comfort him, remind him that it was only one more day, but it didn’t help as much as he thought it would. She wondered if he read the pain on her face when he said those words. One more day and then she’d return to the way life was. Back to her empty apartment, frozen meals, schoolwork, the doldrums of loneliness. As she laid down in Rick’s bed, she tried so hard to not start sobbing, it would just upset Daryl. It wasn’t the last time, after all. She would be able to lay with him one more time. She would bare her chest for him one more time and let him suckle at her breasts. When she felt him relax into sleep, she let the tears flow silently. She didn’t want to go back to her lonely life, not now that she knew what it felt like to take care of someone, someone who loved that you took care of them, was grateful for it. Now that she knew that Daryl and Rick were in this world, she didn’t know how she was going to make it without them.


	10. Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick comes home.

Rick drove like a bat out of hell. It was past ten before he even left Lookout Mountain. The men on the force insisted on taking him to dinner at the local watering hole. And every time he tried to leave, the police officers insisted on another round, another drink, don’t go, it’s still early, they all said. None of them knew he’d already checked out of his hotel. It had been the longest week of his life, the most boring one too. He missed Daryl so much, his chest physically ached from it. And as the week wore on, he realized a new feeling accompanied it after talking to Daryl and Emma every night. It was more of a pang than an ache, one of longing and desire, and by Thursday he finally realized it was for Emma. He was taking a huge risk, telling her he missed her, but when she said that she missed him too, he thought his heart would beat out of his chest.

So by the time Friday finally came, he wanted nothing more than to go home. But the guys on the force had other plans. He only had one beer, and no one realized he was having a horrible time. They just got more drunk as the hours passed and he was finally able to slip away at a quarter till ten.

He just wanted to get home. Crawl into bed with his lover and never let him go. So he drove, stopping only for gas and a quick bathroom break, until he hit Atlanta. There had been a wreck on 85, of course there had been, and it added another hour to his already long night. It was almost three in the morning when he finally unlocked his front door and let himself into his house.

He tried to be as quiet as possible as he locked the door behind him. Emma had left the lamp in the living room on for him, just in case. The whole place was immaculate. The kitchen was clean, no dishes in the sink, no dirty clothes littered the hallway. He stepped quietly into the bathroom, it too had been cleaned. He turned the light off and let his eyes adjust before walking quietly into his bedroom. He could see fairly well thanks to the nightlight he’d put in for Daryl a long time ago.

They were there, in his bed, so close together, their bodies formed one lump under the blankets. Emma was on his side, facing the middle of the bed. Daryl was in the middle of the bed and they were almost chest to chest. Except for the fact that his head was lying beside her ivory breast. He must have fallen asleep sucking on her, he thought. And that thought did things to him he didn’t quite understand. He felt himself get hard in his jeans and he did his best to will it away. He stripped and crawled into bed, on Daryl’s other side, careful to not jostle either of them. He heard one of them sigh in their sleep, but his head hit the pillow and he was gone.

He woke when the sun hit his face, looking in the blue eyes of Emma. When his eyes met hers, she smiled, completely unfazed by the fact that she was topless in front of him.

“Good morning,” she whispered. “When did you get in?”

“Maybe three,” he whispered back. They both looked at the man between them, he was oblivious.

“Do you want to go back to sleep?” She asked.

“And make him wait longer?” He smiled and shook his head.

“Daryl,” she put her hand on his lover’s head, “wake up sweet angel boy.” He could only see the back of Daryl’s head, but he thought his eyes might have opened, because she said, “Turn around and look who’s home!” She was smiling but her eyes were full of tears. He looked at her for another moment as Daryl turned over, but he was suddenly attacked as Daryl realized that he was there.

“Master!” His usual silence was broken by his enthusiasm and Emma laughed happily as he launched himself into Rick’s arms.

Rick wrapped his arms around Daryl and felt tears leak out of his eyes. His boy was happy, healthy, and whole. He couldn’t begin to describe how grateful he was for such a welcome.

“I missed you so much, baby,” Rick told him. Daryl started sobbing into his chest, he guessed with relief and joy. “I’m here, sweetheart, I’m here.” He held him for several minutes until Emma broke the silence.

“I should go.”

Rick’s hand shot away from Daryl’s back to her arm. “Not yet,” he told her. “Not yet.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her so that she was pressed to Daryl’s back.

“Emma,” Daryl whimpered and she gasped. It was probably the first time Daryl had said her name. Rick knew his boy, knew his words were few and far between and that they were even more precious for that.

“I’m right here, Daryl,” she plastered herself to Daryl and Rick saw tears roll down her cheeks. Rick held them both as best as he could, until Daryl’s breathing finally steadied. 

Emma leaned towards his ear. “You should probably go out and potty, sweet boy.” Daryl nodded and Emma slid out of Rick’s grasp.

“I can do it,” he told her.

“It’s fine,” she said but she had turned her back to him and bent over the floor, looking for clothes. “You hang out in the bed, snooze for a few more minutes.” She didn’t give him another chance to protest. He watched her pull on the shirt he’d shed the night before and followed Daryl to the back door.

He didn’t want her to go. It was a plain and simple fact. But they barely knew each other, and he knew that it was not the easiest situation. He didn’t know how Daryl felt about her and that was the most important opinion in his life. He rolled to his back and pinched his nose. He’d let her go home today, but she would not be out of their lives for long. He couldn’t let that happen.


	11. Daryl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl deals with Emma's departure on walk and talk day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of feels.

Daryl cried when Emma left. He didn’t want her to go. He wanted her to stay with him and Master forever. But he didn’t know how to tell her. He didn’t know what to do with those feelings, so he cried as she hugged him goodbye. It didn’t take him long to realize that she was crying too.

“She’ll be back, buddy,” Master knelt down beside them, petting Daryl’s hair and touching Emma’s arm. “We won’t let her stay away for too long.” Daryl whined into her neck.

“He’s right, sweet angel boy,” she told him, “I’ll be back to see you soon.”

But when was soon? He wondered. With one last hug, he felt Emma’s lips near his ear and she whispered words that he knew were meant for only him. “I love you, Daryl.” He wasn’t sure if Master heard her, but it made him cry even harder. He wanted to say those words back but what if it hurt Master? And if he loved Emma, did that mean he loved Master less? All the feelings were too confusing. But he did know that he didn’t want her to go. When she let him go for the last time, he collapsed against his master and felt the sobs rip through his chest. She stood and went to the door, but she didn’t go out of it at first.

“We’ll be fine,” Rick said, “I’ll call you later.” She nodded at his words and then walked out the door with a strangled sob. Daryl felt his master’s arms tighten around him as he wailed for the girl he’d come to love. At least when Master left, he thought, he knew when he’d be back. Emma was very careful to tell him what day it was, how many days they had left until Master was back. But he knew Master couldn’t do that this time.

“I know, baby,” Rick soothed, “I know. It’s ok, let it out. You can cry as much as you need to.” And he did. He cried until he could hardly breathe. Rick rocked him, rubbed his back, soothed him with words he could barely understand. When his tears finally, finally ran dry, Master kissed his lips softly. “I love you, sweetheart.” Daryl whined. “Can you eat something? Just a little something maybe? I want to go on a walk and talk with you, but you need to eat first.”

Daryl nodded. Walk and talk would be good, maybe Master could help him understand why he felt the way he did. But Master wanted him to eat first, so he would. They ate together and then Master helped him to dress. Before they left Master asked if he wanted to bring black cat with him; he did, but he just reached for the stuffed animal in answer instead of speaking. 

They went to his favorite park and held hands as they walked. Master told him about his week and how much he missed Daryl. But soon he was finished and he turned to Daryl.

“Will you tell me about your week with Emma?” He asked. “Did she take care of you?”

Daryl nodded emphatically. 

“Good. Good boy,” Daryl felt the praise wash over him.

“She was nice,” he whispered. 

“She said the two of you watched movies.” Daryl nodded. “Which one was your favorite?”

“Winnie the Pooh,” Daryl admitted shyly. They’d watched that one every night. 

“I may have to buy a copy,” master said but Daryl shook his head. 

“She gave it to me.” It was something Emma did on their last night, telling him that he’d been such a sweet angel boy that she wanted him to have something to remember her by. The case was in his toy basket even now.

“That was very nice of her,” Rick said gently.

“I miss her,” Daryl whispered, terrified of the confession. 

“I miss her too,” Rick told him, still holding his hand.

“You do?” Daryl looked up at his master, surprised that he felt the same way.

Rick nodded, “Mmm hmm. Very much.”

Daryl looked down at black cat. “I thought it was bad.”

“To miss Emma?”

“But I missed you more, Master!” He looked back up at Rick in panic, wanting him to understand. “I did! I didn’t mean to miss her so much! I-“

“Daryl, Daryl, it’s ok. I’m glad that you miss her. I’m glad that she cared so much for you. That she showed you as much love as I do.”

“She told me she loved me,” Daryl whispered as a tear escaped his eye.

“I wouldn’t doubt that for a moment,” Rick replied gently. “Did you say it back?”

Daryl shook his head hard before he said, “I love you, Master.”

“I know you do, baby. But it’s ok to love Emma too. You have such a big heart, Daryl, with a great capacity to love. You can love both me and Emma at the same time.”

“I can?”

“You absolutely can, baby.”


	12. Emma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma tries to deal with being home alone; Spencer escalates.

Emma woke up Sunday morning to her phone buzzing incessantly. She slapped her hand on it and slid the answer button over automatically.

“Hello?” Her voice was groggy.

“I’ve been trying to call you for ten minutes,” Rick’s voice was frustrated but not angry. 

“Rick?”

“You were supposed to call me last night,” his voice became soft and Emma felt her chest fill with guilt. He had texted her yesterday afternoon and she did tell him that she would call him, but she just couldn’t. It hurt too much. She spent Saturday wallowing in her misery, drinking a whole bottle of wine and crying herself to sleep, alone in her bed. 

“I know. I’m sorry, I just,” she rubbed the sleep from her face, “I just tried to get back in the swing of things here.”

“I was worried about you,” Rick said and Emma felt more tears prick her eyes.

“I didn’t mean to worry you. I just needed,” she took a deep breath, “I don’t know what I needed. Time? Space? A good cry? I don’t know, Rick.”

“What are you doing Saturday?” He asked. She wasn’t sure if he wanted to change the subject because he didn’t know what to say or if he was trying to give her the space she thought she needed.

“I don’t think I’m doing anything,” she answered, finding comfort in the more rational conversation. “Why?”

“It’s walk and talk day for us.”

“Walk and talk day?”

“I didn’t tell you about walk and talk days?” He asked and she could hear the smile in his voice. 

“I don’t think so,” she said, feeling a smile of her own.

“Every Saturday I take Daryl to the park, make him wear clothes, walk on two legs, actually speak,” he chuckled.

“He must love that,” she replied sarcastically.

“It took a lot of convincing to get him to do it. We only used to go once a month, but I’ve slowly gotten him to go every Saturday. He’d never admit it but I think he enjoys it.” Rick laughed again. “Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to join us this Saturday?”

“Really?” She sat up in the bed, completely alert. “Do you think he’d talk to me?” Hearing Daryl say her name yesterday was the greatest gift anyone could have ever given her and the worst at the same time. She wanted more; she wanted to hear Daryl say that he loved her too. 

“I do,” Rick said softly. “He misses you, Emma.”

“I miss him too,” she admitted in a small voice. 

“So you’ll come?” 

“Of course I will,” she smiled.

“I’m not telling him,” Rick whispered conspiratorially, “I want it to be a surprise.”

“Where is he now?” She asked, shocked that Rick could speak so freely.

“He’s outside. I’m watching him from the back door. He’s laying in the sun.” 

“Sweet angel boy,” she whispered.

“Do you want to FaceTime?” Rick asked her. 

Emma hesitated. She wasn’t sure that it was a good idea to get more attached than she already was. But, she reasoned, she was already going to see them next Saturday. And it hurt more to tell Rick no.

“Please,” it came out strangled but she couldn’t feel embarrassed about it.

“Hang up the phone,” Rick whispered. As she did as she was told, Emma felt a shiver shoot down her spine. Rick’s commands were like honey, sweet to the ear, sticking to her soul. Her submissive nature wanted to kneel down in front of the man and do whatever he asked of her. But that made her want to scream and cry and rail at the universe for sending her two men who already had everything they needed in each other.

Before she could do any of those things, her phone buzzed, telling her Rick wanted to FaceTime.

“Hey!” He greeted her when he saw her. His smile was huge and she tried to return it but it was so hard.

“Hey yourself,” she answered. “I look like shit.”

“You look tired,” he said with concern. She could tell he was moving through the house, but she couldn’t tell which part of the house he was in.

She sighed. “I didn’t sleep well last night. Got kind of used to sleeping with Daryl.”

“I slept like shit the whole time I was gone,” he admitted, “and he doesn’t even sleep with me every night.” Rick sat on the couch and she heard the leather groan. “Here we go. Here she is, buddy.”

The phone moved and suddenly the screen was filled with Daryl’s smiling face.

“There’s my sweet angel boy,” she greeted him. Tears filled her eyes again but she fought them back; she didn’t want him to see her crying but damn she missed him so much. “Are you happy Master’s home?”

Daryl nodded but whined. The side of Rick’s face came into the edge of the screen. “I told you, he misses you.”

“I miss you too, sweetheart,” her voice was thick with unshed tears. She saw the look Rick was giving her and was surprised by it; it was of understanding and longing, not of pity like she was expecting. “I’ll see you soon, though. I promise.” Daryl whined again and it was enough to split her heart in two. “I don’t know when, sweetheart,” she answered his unspoken question, lying through her teeth, “but soon. I can’t stay away from you for too long.” Daryl nosed the screen, like he would do when Rick would FaceTime and that was it. The tears she tried so hard to keep at bay spilled over and ran down her cheeks in long tracks. She saw Rick kiss his head.

“He’s not the only one who misses you,” he told her.

“Rick,” she pleaded with him. This was hard enough without him saying such things. He closed his eyes and sighed.

“Ok,” he said, “but you better text me later or I’ll worry.”

“I will. I promise.” She looked Daryl in the eyes and hoped he could see everything she wanted to say. That she missed him; that she loved him; that she didn’t know how to navigate this; but that she wanted him in her life. 

“Tell her bye, buddy,” Rick told Daryl as he ruffled his hair. Daryl whined at him. “We’ll call her again tomorrow. Ok?” He asked Emma.

She smiled and nodded her head frantically. “Ok.”

 

Monday was a little more bearable. She had classes to keep her mind occupied, a ton of laundry to do at home, and a FaceTime call with Rick and Daryl to look forward to. After her last class of the day, she zipped up to the top floor of the Psychology department for a quick meeting with her seminar professor. The meeting went well and she was headed back to the elevator to go home when she saw Spencer walk out of it. She picked a spot on the ugly beige wall to stare at before she made her way to the doors. 

“Emma!” He made to grab at her arm but she pulled away.

“Don’t touch me,” she spat at him.

“C’mon, Em, don’t be like that.”

She bristled again, no one called her Em; her name was Emma. “Leave me alone, Spencer. I have nothing to say to you.” He grabbed her arm again, this time hard enough to make sure she couldn’t break the grip.

“I thought we had a good thing going here,” he said, his tone full of anger and it sent alarm bells ringing through her head.

“We didn’t have anything going,” she hissed at him. “We flirted, had coffee, then out of the blue you text me for what was basically a booty call and got pissed when I told you no.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t think no actually meant no to your kind of people. Don’t you have to use some special word or something?”

Emma felt all of the blood drain from her face. “How do you know?” She whispered.

“I overheard you talking about that freak place with another girl in the hallway the other day and I Googled it,” he said hurriedly. “Never thought about doing that kind of shit myself but hey I can get into whips and chains.” His eyes were dark, the pupils blown wide. 

Her breath caught in her chest. She knew exactly what he was talking about. It was the week before she stayed with Daryl. She’d caught up with her friend Tara, another master’s student in the department and asked her if she and her dom, Rosita, would be going to Kingdom that Friday night. When they spoke, the hallway had been empty. Or so she thought.

She grabbed his fingers with her free hand and pried them off her arm; in the back of her mind she knew he left bruises but she couldn’t focus on that right now. “You stay the hell away from me. What we do at Kingdom isn’t about pain and just because I’m a member there doesn’t mean I’m an easy lay.”

“I think it does,” he whispered menacingly. “I think it makes you a filthy little slut and I can’t wait to fuck that dirty little pussy between your legs.” 

At his words, her fight or flight instincts finally kicked in and she flew to the closing doors of the elevator. She made it just in time, and thankfully the doors didn’t try to open again. Just before they closed completely, she saw Spencer’s face in between the closing space.

“See you later, Emma,” he promised.


	13. Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walk and Talk day.

Rick drove the car in silence, stealing glances at Daryl, who was staring out the window. It had taken everything that was in him to not spill the beans on the surprise he and Emma planned. Especially after she had sent him a picture of what she’d bought for his pup. But he stayed strong, knowing Daryl’s face would be completely worth it in the end.  
It had been a long week and he knew Daryl was still struggling to understand what he felt for Emma and if those feelings were okay to have. If he was being honest with himself, he’d been struggling just as much as Daryl. Emma was the support system he didn’t realize he needed. When Daryl came into his life, he never missed having another person to help guide him along the way. He never thought he needed anyone else besides Daryl but then he met her. She came into their lives like a warm blanket, comforting, supporting, and covering them in understanding from head to toe. He called her every night since Sunday, they FaceTimed, and texted during the day when they could, but she wasn’t there physically and it felt like that blanket had been ripped away, leaving both him and his pup cold and exposed. 

He told Emma to meet them at ten but he and Daryl were a little early. The park was relatively empty, only one other runner, and Rick was grateful. He wasn’t sure how this was going to go, how Daryl was going to react. Hell, he didn’t know how he was going to react. He held Daryl’s hand as he led him to an empty park bench, ignoring their usual picnic table. They sat down and he wrapped his arm around Daryl’s shoulders. He laid his head on Rick’s shoulder and Rick laid his head on top of Daryl’s.

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” Rick asked, looking towards the parking lot.

“I miss Emma,” he whispered.

“I miss her too, sweetheart,” Rick replied, he watched as a car slowed on the highway.

“Do you think she misses me?” Daryl’s voice was so hopeful and yet so scared. The car turned into the parking lot.

“Without a doubt,” he answered. They were both silent as the car pulled into the space next to Rick’s. Daryl couldn’t see it, but Rick new it was her; his heart pounded in anticipation.

“I wish she stayed with us always.”

“So do I buddy,” Rick whispered as he heard the car door shut. He kissed the top of Daryl’s head. “Maybe you should tell her your wish.” And there she was, appearing from around his car, holding a shopping bag, her brown hair swirling in the wind.

“Tonight when she calls?” He asked hopefully, looking up at him, and Rick realized Daryl hadn’t seen her yet.

“I was thinking right now. Look sweetheart,” Rick pointed in the right direction and his eyes met Emma’s when she realized they were both looking at her. Her face broke into the widest grin.

“Emma?” Daryl’s head rose up from Rick’s shoulder and he stood as though he didn’t realize what he was doing. As soon as he did, she broke into a dead run, the shopping bag flopping around haphazardly but she didn’t seem to care. Rick looked up at his precious boy’s face and saw utter happiness in his eyes. He was smiling wider than Rick had ever seen and when Emma started running towards him, he ran too. Rick laughed happily as he stood; Daryl was much less coordinated than she was but when they met a few feet from the bench he was still upright. Daryl threw himself into her waiting arms and Rick heard a strangled sob escape from both of them. “Emma, Emma, Emma,” he heard Daryl saying her name over and over. He watched as she gripped Daryl to her body as tightly as she could, one hand at his back, the other tangled in his hair. He stepped up to the pair, hating to intrude on their moment, but unable to stay away. Daryl had his face buried in her neck and she had tears streaming down her face; neither of them saw as he moved to their sides and then wrapped both of them in his arms. Just as he touched them, he heard Daryl whisper, “I love you, Emma.”

“I love you too, sweet angel boy,” she whispered back in between sobs. Rick thought there was nothing more precious in the world than hearing the both of them declare such a pure love for one another; his own tears swelled in his eyes and threatened to spill over. 

The three of them stood holding each for several long minutes. Rick didn’t want to let either of them go. It felt peaceful. It felt like being home. It wasn’t until she spoke that they finally broke apart.

“I have something for you sweet boy,” she said. Rick released them both and saw Daryl pull back from her neck.

“A present?”

She gasped at his words and put her hand on his cheek. “My god you have the sweetest voice. Yes, angel, a present for you.”

“C’mon,” Rick got their attention, “let’s go sit down.” He gestured with his arm towards the bench and they all moved as one. He sat on the left end, Emma on the right and they both guided Daryl to sit in between them. Emma laid the bag in his lap and Rick watched as he opened it with trembling hands. His boy reached in and pulled out a brand new Winnie the Pooh stuffed bear.

“Pooh!” Daryl cried happily and clutched it to his chest. He leaned against Emma and she wrapped her arms around him. 

“Do you like it?” She asked and Rick had to laugh.

“What do you say sweetheart,” he prompted.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“You are most welcome, Daryl,” she answered. He stayed that way, plastered against her chest, holding his new Pooh bear, and they didn’t show any sign of pulling apart anytime soon.

“How are you?” Rick asked her over Daryl’s head.

“Better now,” she admitted. 

“What are you doing the rest of the day?”

“Nothing,” she shook her head.

“Come home with us,” he knew it wasn’t a question, knew he ordered her more than he meant to. He tried to ask more than he commanded, which was why every time he gave Emma an order, it came out soft and gentle. 

“Rick, I-”

“Please, Emma,” Daryl interrupted her, “please.”

“Of course I will, angel boy,” she said, but Rick could tell she was still unsure. 

“How about we go for a walk on the trail before we leave,” he suggested. She nodded and Daryl reluctantly pulled away from her chest. “Here, baby,” Rick gently took the stuffed bear from him, “I’ll carry the bag, so you can hold both of our hands. How does that sound?” Daryl nodded emphatically. Rick took the bear and the bag and they all stood. Rick took one of Daryl’s hands as Emma took the other and together they walked the trails around the park, talking of nothing and everything at the same time.


	14. Daryl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saturday continues after Walk and Talk time.

Daryl couldn’t remember ever being this happy. Maybe when his master first brought him home and promised to care for him, but he thought this might be even better. He couldn’t sit still as Master drove him home. Emma followed them in her car and he kept looking out the back window to make sure she hadn’t disappeared. 

“She’s still there, buddy,” Rick chuckled after he looked back for the tenth time. He settled back in his seat, holding Pooh bear close. He still couldn’t believe Emma got him a present; Master had given him many stuffies, but he felt that somehow this was different. Now he had two people who loved him. 

When they pulled in the driveway, Daryl waited until Emma got out of her car, before he let Master help him out. He just wanted to make sure she was going to stay. When Master unlocked and opened the door, he kicked his shoes off, shucked his jeans and boxers and dropped down on all fours to crawl to the bedroom.

“We’ll be right back,” he heard Rick say to Emma. He knew Master was right behind him. When he reached the bedroom, he jumped up on the bed and pulled his shirt off over his head.

“Here you go, sweetheart,” Rick said as he held the mittens open. Daryl put his hands in each of them and then laid his chest on the bed, his ass in the air as Master lubed up his tail. He slid it in slowly and Daryl breathed a sigh of relief as it settled into place. He didn’t feel complete without his tail anymore. He sat up and nuzzled into Rick’s chest.

“I love you, Daryl,” Rick said as he wrapped his arms around him.

“I love you, Rick,” he replied into Rick’s neck. Master put his fingers under Daryl’s chin and lifted it up so that he could kiss his lips. They brushed softly against Daryl’s and he slid his tongue out to gently taste his master. Rick groaned quietly and deepened the kiss, wrapping his hand in Daryl’s hair and pulling him so their bodies were touching. They ran out of breath quickly and Rick pulled away.

“We shouldn’t keep her waiting, baby.” Daryl yipped in reply, jumped off the bed and crawled as fast as he could, back to Emma. She was sitting on the couch, waiting for them.

“There you are, sweet angel boy,” she greeted him as she slid off the couch and onto the floor. He immediately clambered into her lap and snuggled against her chest. She wrapped her arms around him and just held him. He sighed in contentment; he truly felt like his world was complete now. For the past two years, he thought that all he needed was his master, but now he wanted a mistress too. He wanted Emma to be a part of his and master’s life.

“Anyone hungry for lunch?” Rick asked. Daryl only pressed himself closer to Emma, he didn’t want to move, even if it was to eat.

“I think we might need a few more minutes,” Emma said and Daryl could hear her smile.

“I can wait,” Rick said walking away, “But it’s BLT’s for lunch, which means bacon!”

Daryl perked his head up and gave Emma a lopsided smile; bacon was his favorite. 

 

To Daryl’s complete happiness, Emma stayed with them all day. Every once in a while, she would say that she should probably go home, but he would whine and Rick would look at her and say, “Please stay,” and she would smile and nod silently. They spent some time playing in the yard together, he and Rick play wrestling while Emma watched and laughed at the both of them. He even got her to join in a few times; she put up a good fight, but let him win when he crawled on top of her and just sat down.

“I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun,” she said to both him and Rick as they all laid in the grass, soaking up the sunshine. Daryl pouted, leaned over and licked her cheek and she giggled. “I had a lot of fun with you, last week, sweetheart, but we didn’t play quite this much. Besides, it’s even more fun with Master here, isn’t it?” 

He nodded, rolled over and licked his master on the cheek as well. Rick laughed and ran his fingers through Daryl’s hair; he melted into his master’s touch. 

“Stay for dinner,” Rick said to Emma. 

“I can’t seem to make my feet work to walk out the door, so yes, I’ll stay for dinner,” but she was smiling. Daryl rolled onto his back and wiggled into the grass. “Maybe a movie afterward?” She asked and Daryl yipped happily in reply. He followed them both inside and laid under the kitchen table while Emma helped Rick cook dinner. He heard them talking and laughing and he wondered if this was what it felt like to have a family. He sighed contentedly; he hoped Master could convince Emma to stay for the night. He liked the idea of sleeping between the two of them in the bed. He liked the idea of Emma being with them forever and being his Mistress.

They all ate dinner together, Daryl a little reluctantly when he saw that Master put green beans in his bowl. He ate them anyway, knowing what he could have once he finished his dinner. He crawled to the table, leaving his empty bowl behind and laid his head on Rick’s lap. 

“You eat way too fast,” he heard Rick say, but Master unzipped his jeans and drew out his cock. “Go ahead, sweet boy.” Daryl waited for the command before he latched on to his master’s flesh. He sighed as Rick grew hard immediately. “Are you still ok with this?” Rick asked.

“Of course,” he heard Emma reply. “That’s a stupid question, Rick,” she chuckled.

“I know,” he gasped as his cock hit the back of Daryl’s throat. Daryl was entirely focused on making his master come. He sucked and slurped, hitting all of Rick’s sensitive spots. He heard Rick groan and release down Daryl’s throat. He swallowed it all greedily and kept his master’s cock warm until Rick and Emma finished their food.

After dinner, they settled on the couch and Daryl was between them again. He sat back on his legs as Rick put the movie in. When Daryl realized it was Winnie the Pooh, he leaned over and licked at his master’s lips to say thank you.

Rick chuckled, “You’re welcome, buddy.” Daryl jumped down from the couch and crawled over to his toy basket where his new Pooh bear sat. He picked it up in his teeth gently and brought it back to the couch. Emma took it from him and he climbed back up to his spot. She handed it back to him and he moved around on the couch, looking for a comfortable spot. He finally decided on laying his head in Emma’s lap and his feet in Rick’s.

“I see how it is,” Rick laughed and Emma joined him. 

“My lap is less annoying,” she teased.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rick asked and Daryl could hear his smile.

“You know exactly what it means.”

Daryl giggled because even he knew what Emma was talking about.

“Hey,” Rick tickled his feet and Daryl yelped in surprise, “no comments from you, mister.” But Daryl giggled again and rubbed his face in Emma’s lap.

“God, I love that sound,” she said. She leaned down and kissed the side of Daryl’s head, just above his ear and he sighed happily.

They became quiet and watched the movie that they’d all seen countless times over the past two weeks. Emma ran her fingers through Daryl’s hair and Rick rested one hand on Daryl’s side and the other was touching Emma’s shoulder. They were all touching, all connected, and Daryl practically purred at all the contact. 

After the movie was over, Rick turned it to the regular tv and Daryl started to doze as he laid across their laps. He was so content, so safe, and so happy. Soon he realized that Rick and Emma weren’t watching the tv but talking to each other.

“You haven’t had anymore problems with Spencer have you?” Rick asked. Who was Spencer? Daryl wondered.

“No,” Emma sighed, “but I haven’t been on campus much after what happened Monday.”

“Have you gone to class?”

“I have, but I get there in time for class and leave as soon as it’s over.”

Rick huffed. “I wish you would report it. At least to the school. That’s harassment, Emma.”

Daryl’s ears perked at the word ‘harassment,’ he knew that doing that was bad. 

“I know it is, Rick, but what am I supposed to say? He figured out I belonged to a BDSM club and thought he could take advantage?”

“That’s what happened,” Master insisted.

“I know,” Emma’s voice was soothing, “but people who aren’t like us don’t understand the lifestyle. They just think we’re freaks or sex addicts. That’s what Spencer thinks.” Her voice sounded so sad, Daryl wanted to sit up and comfort her, but he stayed still; he wanted to hear more.

“You’ll tell me if anything else happens?”

“Of course I will, Rick,” she answered. “I seem to do everything you say anyway,” she sighed again. 

“Ann told me,” he whispered and Daryl felt Emma tense. 

“Told you what?” She asked.

“That you can be both dominant and submissive, that you need both.”

“She shouldn’t have told you that,” Emma sounded angry.

“And why not?” Rick argued. “So you could hide it from me and fight this even more?”

“Rick I don’t even know what this is.”

“Daryl loves you,” Master stated.

“And I love him!”

“I know you do, Emma. Isn’t that enough?”

“I know exactly how I feel about Daryl, but-”

“You don’t know how you feel about me,” Rick finished. Daryl was so confused, he thought that when Emma told him that she loved him, it meant that she loved Master too. How could she love one and not the other? He didn’t understand and he finally whined and pushed himself up so they new he was listening. Emma gasped and Rick went still. He leaned over and timidly licked Emma’s lips, then he turned around and licked Rick’s lips a little more confidently. He loved them both and Master said there was nothing wrong with it; couldn’t Emma love both him and Master, couldn’t Rick love both him and Emma?

Emma stood up from the couch suddenly. “I should go.”

“No!” Rick stood too, “I’m not going to let you just run out the door without talking about this.”

“We barely know each other!” She wailed.

“You already know the most important thing about me. What else do you want to know? I’ll tell you everything, Emma!” Daryl whined, crawled off the couch and sat on the floor between them. They weren’t yelling but he was still scared, he could hear the urgency and desperation in both of their voices. “I’ll do anything, just...please don’t leave.”

“Have you even given any thought as to how this would work? What I would be to you? To Daryl?”

“Not even a little bit,” Rick answered, “but I do know that I want you to stay. I know that Daryl wants you to stay too.” 

Emma didn’t respond at first and Daryl looked up at her. He saw that she was scared and he didn’t know why. Did she not believe Rick when he said they both wanted her to stay? He wanted her to know there was nothing to be scared of, Master would take care of her, just like he took care of Daryl. He crawled until his head was pressed into her leg; they were both silent and he knew they were watching him. He rubbed his face against he leg and whimpered.

“Daryl,” she sounded like she was crying.

He took a deep breath; even though walk and talk was over, it was time for words. “Please, Emma,” he whispered, “stay with us always.” He heard her cry out at his words.

“Please, Emma,” Rick said softly, and Daryl felt his legs against his back as he stepped closer to her, “stay with us. Always.” He looked up and saw Rick kissing her. He felt his heart skip a beat and he wanted to bounce around the room. Rick had his hand in Emma’s hair and as they kissed, her arms came up and wrapped around his neck. They leaned over Daryl to get closer to each other, but he didn’t move; he knew he didn’t have to. He rubbed his face in Emma’s leg again before he turned and did the same thing to Rick’s. He looked up again and watched them for a moment. He knew what his master’s kisses were like, sweet and commanding and Emma was returning them like she needed Rick’s kisses more than she needed air. Daryl whined at them, he wanted Emma to kiss him like that too.

They pulled apart and looked down. Rick chuckled. “I think someone’s a little jealous.” Daryl whined again, yes he was jealous. Emma knelt down in front of him, put her hands on either side of his face, leaned in and touched her lips to his. His lips parted in surprise and she took the opportunity to slide her tongue inside of his mouth. She tasted delicious, like sunshine and ice cream and happiness. 

When they pulled apart, Rick knelt down at Daryl’s back, so that they were all at the same level. Emma took a shuddering breath and quickly looked from Daryl’s eyes to Rick’s.

“We both want you here, Emma,” Rick said and Daryl nodded. “I don’t have the answers you want. I don’t know how things will work, what they will turn into. All I know is that I didn’t have those answers with Daryl either,” he pet Daryl’s hair and he sighed at Master’s touch, “and things have turned out beautifully. You’ve been miserable all week, please don’t deny it. Move in with us. We’ll figure it out together.” Rick put his hand on Emma’s cheek, but kept his other hand on Daryl’s hair. “All three of us.” No one spoke for a minute, Daryl wanted so desperately to hear Emma’s answer but Master was waiting patiently, so he would too. 

“I want to say yes,” Emma finally whispered. “But I need….I need some time, just a night. To myself.” Daryl felt his heart sink. If she wanted to say yes, why wasn’t she? He whined because he didn’t understand. “I’m sorry, sweet angel boy,” she looked at him, “I just want some time to think.”

“Sweetheart,” Rick said, looking at him, “do you know how sometimes you want to think things through before you speak? How you take your time to understand your thoughts and feelings?” Daryl nodded; that was why walk and talk days still scared him sometimes. He didn’t always understand his thoughts and feelings and he needed lots of time to sort through them. “That’s all she’s doing. Just like you. She’ll come back to us.”

“First thing in the morning,” Emma promised. “Master’s right, Daryl. I just want time to make sense of my own thoughts. It doesn’t mean I’m leaving you. Or you,” she looked at Rick.

“I know,” Rick nodded.

She didn’t leave right away, and Daryl was thankful for that. The three of them sat on the floor for a long time, always touching, sometimes talking. Rick even kissed Emma again and watching it up close did things to Daryl that he didn’t understand. Maybe thinking for a night was a good idea. When she was finally ready to go, it was late and Daryl was very tired. Rick walked her to the door, and he crawled behind them.

“Tomorrow morning,” Rick said.

“9 a.m. sharp,” Emma replied.

“Please come back to us,” Rick cupped her cheek with his hand.

“I’m not leaving you,” she said, “I just want a night to myself. I’ll come back to both of you,” she leaned down and kissed the top of Daryl’s head. He and Rick stayed at the door to watch her get in her car. She waved as she backed out of the driveway, into the street, and then she was gone. Daryl was glad that he didn’t have to speak when they were home. He had too many emotions and thoughts. All he had to do was whine and Master knew how he felt, so he did.

“I know, baby,” Rick replied sadly. “But we’ve probably pushed her too much. We’ll see her in the morning. Let’s head to bed.” Daryl followed Rick to the bathroom and let him brush his teeth. Once Rick was finished with his teeth, they both climbed into the bed. Rick pulled Daryl close to his chest. “She’ll come back, Daryl. She belongs with us and she knows it. We’ll see her in the morning,” Rick said again. But Daryl thought his Master sounded unsure, even worried. He burrowed against Rick’s chest, seeking comfort. She would come back, he thought, she loved him and she would come back. He couldn’t wait for morning.


	15. Emma

As soon as Emma was out of sight of Rick’s house, she picked up her phone and called Ann. It was Saturday night and it was late, but she knew the Mistress would pick up. And thankfully after only three rings, she did.

“Emma?” Ann answered. Emma could hear the sounds of the busy club in the background.

“Mistress!” She wailed.

“Baby, what’s wrong? The noises cut off abruptly and Emma thought she might have gone to her office. “Talk to me, Emma,” she commanded.

“Rick-” She barely choked out. She couldn’t stop the sobs from escaping her chest.

“Where are you?”

“D-d-driving.”

“Pull over this instant! You will not put yourself and other people in danger driving like this.”

“Yes, Mistress.” She did as she was told, finding peace and comfort in the command. 

“Deep breaths, little one. Deep breaths,” Ann guided her. Once she could hear that Emma had her breathing under control, she spoke. “Now, tell me what happened.”

“I spent the day with Rick and Daryl,” she answered, “and Rick asked me to move in with them.”

“And?”

“And?” Emma was on the verge of hysterics again. “And I can’t move in with them!”

“Why not?”

“I barely-”

“No, Emma, you do know them. You know everything that Daryl needs to take care of him. You know that Rick is a caring and understanding Dom and would do anything for his submissives. They are everything that you need, baby. You know them.”

“It’s too soon,” Emma whispered.

“You know there is no such thing. I’ve seen couples scene together once and know they never wanted another partner. Sometimes people just click and you most certainly have with Rick and Daryl. This is a good thing, Emma. I’m sure the three of you have a lot of details to iron out, but you will do it together.”

“That’s what Rick said,” Emma told her thickly.

“He’s a smart man,” Ann sighed, “if he wasn’t already taken….” she trailed off and Emma laughed.

“I don’t think Rick would be a very good submissive,” she said.

“Well, one can still fantasize,” Ann replied. “You said you were driving; driving where?”

“Back to my apartment. I told Rick that I just needed some time to myself and think things through. I’m going back over there first thing in the morning, though.”

“Good girl,” Ann said, “no running.”

“No, Mistress,” Emma smiled, “ no running. Not from these two.”

“Good girl. Call me soon.”

“Yes, Mistress.” And the line went dead. Emma bit her lip and clutched her phone in her hands. Ann was right; she did know Rick and Daryl. It was fast and it was unconventional, but she’d never been one to fit in a mold. She eased back onto the road and drove the rest of the way to her apartment, her mind in a whirl. But there was one thing that was completely clear: she belonged with Rick and Daryl. She couldn’t wait to show up in the morning, her car packed to the brim. She’d have to talk to her landlord; she wasn’t exactly sure when her lease was up, but she’d make it work. They’d make it work. She didn’t have to be afraid of this. Rick had more than proven that he was capable of taking care of the people in his life. He’d gone above and beyond with Daryl, she had no reason to expect anything less. She couldn’t wait for the morning.

She was so keyed up when she pulled into her parking space and walked to her door, that she didn’t notice that her apartment door was already unlocked. She shut the door behind her, that dopey grin still on her face as she intended to walk to her bedroom and start packing immediately. But as she passed the kitchen, the light flicked on and she froze.

“Good evening, Emma,” Spencer said. He was leaning against the kitchen counter and he slugged a gulp from the whiskey bottle he was holding. “You missed your curfew, you dirty fucking slut.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this chapter is so short and ends...well, like that, I'll post Chapter 16 tomorrow. Please stick with me!!!


	16. Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2 hours later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING.  
> This chapter is from Rick's perspective as he learns what happens to Emma. There is no scene of the actual attack in this chapter, however, physical assault does occur and her injuries are discussed in detail. There will be a later chapter in Emma's perspective of the attack, so the reader can see exactly what happens (if you choose to; I'll put a note at the beginning of that chapter as well). There is NO sexual assault/rape. Attempted rape does occur and is discussed. I have updated the tags. The majority of this chapter takes place in the hospital.
> 
> I wrote it this way so that the reader learns what happens to Emma as Rick does and to experience his emotions as they come. I also wanted to show that Emma is not exactly a damsel in distress; Rick's involvement with the Spencer situation has been limited because it was her problem to deal with, even if she didn't listen to Rick when she should have. Lastly, I wanted to acknowledge the difficulties of having this type of relationship in a Southern setting, where something like this is very uncommon (at least it is in my experience).
> 
> The next few chapters are very emotional as our trio faces this together. Thank you to everyone who gave this story a chance and for all your wonderful comments. I hope you stay with me till the end.

Rick grabbed the phone, still half asleep, and slid the answer button to stop the loud ringing.

“What?” He asked grumpily. Daryl stirred beside him. 

“Rick,” it was his boss, “I need you to wake up.”

“This better be good, Martinez,” Rick glanced at his clock, “it’s three in the morning.”

“Do you know a young woman named Emma Martin?”

Rick shot up in the bed, wide awake now. “Of course. What’s wrong? What happened?”

“I need you to head to Grady Memorial right now.”

He threw the covers off and jumped out of bed. Daryl was completely alert, watching him. “What the fuck happened?” He asked again, stronger this time.

“I need you to remain calm, Grimes.”

“You not telling me isn’t helping me to remain fucking calm,” he answered through gritted teeth.

“She was attacked tonight. A man by the name of Spencer Monroe broke into her apartment, waited until she got home, and assaulted her.”

“Mother fucker!” Rick started grabbing any clothes his hands could reach and got dressed one handed.

“You know about this guy?”

“He was harassing her earlier this week. They’re both in the psychology department at the college. I think he’s just an undergraduate. Is she ok?” If she wasn’t, he was going to rip that guys throat out with his teeth; he might still do it even if she was ok.

“I’ve seen worse, Rick. She put up one hell of a fight. They had to cart him off in an ambulance too. But she is pretty bad. The paramedics said she most likely has a broken leg, wrist, ribs, a concussion. Every inch of her is black and blue. She was really out of it, but I was able to get it out of her that you were her emergency contact. I do know they kept her stable all the way to the hospital. They’re getting ready to take her to surgery to repair the broken bones.”

“I’ll be there in just a few minutes.” He hung up and realized he was trembling. He should have insisted she stay with them. He should have called to check on her after she left. He should have had that conversation with her the day he got back from Lookout Mountain. He should have-

A whimper interrupted his thoughts and he turned to see Daryl shaking on the floor. He knelt down in front of his pup and tried to calm himself down. “Hey, buddy, something’s happened with Emma. Someone broke into her apartment and hurt her tonight.” 

Daryl’s whine was louder than he’d ever heard. It filled the room and sent chills down his spine; if there had ever been a sound of a heart breaking, that was it. 

“I know, she should be ok, but she’s at the hospital. She has to have surgery and I need to go check on her.” As soon as Rick said the word ‘go’ Daryl turned around, crawled into his kennel, and laid down on his bed. Rick jumped up and ran to the living room. He came back only seconds later holding Pooh and Daryl’s pacifier; he sat them both down in front of his boy. “I’ll be back in time to let you out in the morning. I love you, Daryl.” Daryl whined, softer now, and nodded. Rick closed the door and ran from the house, barely stopping to lock up.

He navigated the middle of the night traffic with ease and made it to Grady in record time. He walked through the emergency room door and saw Martinez waiting for him. “How is she?”

“They just started the surgery.” He walked to the double doors leading to the rest of the hospital and Rick followed. “I wanted to wait till you got here to move to that waiting room. They don’t think it’ll take more than two hours.” They walked the rest of the way in silence. It didn’t take long for Martinez to lead him to the correct waiting room. It was deserted and they took seats in the corner. “You know I’ve got to ask you some questions now,” Jose said.

“I know,” Rick answered. 

“You said this guy was harassing her earlier this week?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you remember what day that was?”

“Monday. She told me about it Monday night when we talked.”

“Did she say exactly what happened?” 

She did, Rick thought, but stayed silent for a minute. This was going to be tricky; Emma was a private person and Rick didn’t want to overstep and take that away from her. She should be the one to determine what details were given to the police.

“They had struck up a friendship at the beginning of the semester, but last week they were texting and he was coming on too strong. She blocked him and Monday he confronted her, called her a slut, all kinds of shit. Dude was pissed cause she told him no. That was the last time she spoke to him or saw him.”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely. She would’ve told me.” Rick rubbed his face, exhaustion was already creeping in. “Jose, what happened? How did that fucker get in to her apartment?”

The sheriff regarded him for a moment. “It looks like he might have just picked the lock. The call came in a little after 1 a.m. Neighbors heard her screaming, the sounds of fighting, and called the police. The 911 dispatcher said the caller sounded scared, said it sounded like someone was in real trouble. We hurried over there and found Emma on the floor, her leg bent the wrong way, beat to hell, kitchen completely ransacked. The guy, Spencer, was cut up pretty bad, her hands were too. Looks like she might have used a broken glass bottle to defend herself with.”

“He didn’t….did he,” Rick couldn’t get the words around the bile rising in his throat, “was she-”  
“He didn’t rape her,” Martinez said gently. “Although to be perfectly honest, Rick, that was definitely what he intended to do.” Rick couldn’t hold it back and vomited in a nearby trash can. Tears streamed down his face and soon he couldn’t tell if he was retching or sobbing. “Breathe, man, just breathe.” Jose stood behind him and rubbed circles on his back trying to get him to calm down.

“She’d just left my house, Martinez. She’d just left. How long was he there, waiting for her? What if she’d stayed with me for the night? What if she’d left earlier? I can’t- I don’t- I can’t-,” Rick couldn’t even form a coherent word anymore. The guilt was crushing him. He should have taken better care of her. And how was he going to explain all of this to Daryl?

“Man, you can’t go down that road. It’ll drive you crazy. She’s gonna be ok, she’s tough. And I’ve already got that asshole in handcuffs. He’s gonna look like Frankenstein before the night’s over with all the stitches he needs.”

“She stopped him?” Rick finally managed to get out.

“Yeah, man, she stopped him. She stopped him,” he said again for emphasis. Rick put his head in his hands and tried to slow his breathing down. He didn’t even realize when Martinez left and came back with a cup of coffee.

“Dude, have you even moved?” he nudged Rick’s arm with the hot cup.

“Nah, guess I haven’t. Thanks,” he said, taking the cup. “I should have been there for her,” he stared down at the black coffee but didn’t drink it.

“You are here for her, Rick. There’s no way you could have known he was there. That’s not on you.” He hesitated a moment before he said, “Can I ask you something?”

“You can,” he replied. “I might not answer, but you can ask.”

Jose hesitated, but he knew it was a fair concession. “How long have you two been together? I didn’t think you were seeing anybody.”

“I wasn’t,” Rick started to answer, “It’s still….new, I guess.”

“Is she the reason you were so pissed at me when I sent you to Lookout Mountain?”

“In a way,” Rick answered cryptically. He wasn’t sure he wanted this conversation to continue. Everything was so complicated. He’d been so hopeful for Emma’s answer in the morning, but now she was hurt and he didn’t know if that changed things. If it did, it would kill Daryl and he’d never forgive himself for letting her walk out the door. 

Jose wanted to ask Rick to clarify, but decided it would be better to drop it and Rick was grateful for the silence. They stayed that way for another hour and a half before the silence was broken by a doctor approaching them. They both stood up from their chairs.

“I’m Dr. Rhee. Are you Emma Martin’s family?” The woman asked Rick, eyeing Jose in his police uniform.

“Miss Martin has no family in the area,” Jose answered, “She named Rick Grimes,” he gestured to him, “as her emergency contact while still at the scene.” The doctor nodded.

“How is she?” Rick asked urgently.

“She’s going to be just fine, Mr. Grimes. Surgery went very well. She’s in a room and should be waking up soon, if you’d like see her?”

“Yes, please,” he followed the doctor out of the waiting room, Martinez right behind him. Dr. Rhee led them into a private room and Rick felt his heart split apart. Emma was lying in a hospital bed, still asleep and wearing a standard issue hospital gown. She was pale but bruises were blossoming all over her skin; the ones on her left eye and cheek looked to be the worst but Rick also saw small ones on her arms in the shape of fingerprints. Her right wrist was in a cast, so was her right leg, up to her knee. Her hands were bandaged and there was a gash on her left arm that had been stitched up. A young blonde nurse was checking her IV and vitals.

“Everything looks good, Dr. Rhee,” the nurse said. “She should wake up very soon.”

“Thank you, Beth,” the doctor answered. And just as soon as the nurse walked out the door, Emma started to stir.

Rick stepped up to the left side of the bed while Dr. Rhee went to the right. “Emma,” the woman said, “can you hear me?” Emma grimaced but her eyes were still closed.

“Rick?” She groaned.

“I’m here, sweetheart, I’m right here,” he wanted to touch her, so that she could feel him, but every inch of her looked tender and broken. She opened her eyes and met his own and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank god.”

“Where am I?” She asked.

“Emma,” Dr. Rhee got her attention, “you’re in the hospital. I’m Doctor Maggie Rhee. I just performed surgery on you. Do you remember what happened?”

“It hurts,” she whimpered.

“I know,” the doctor soothed. “We’ll get you something for the pain soon.”

“Emma,” Rick took over, “look at me,” she did, “focus on me. What do you remember?”

“I was….at your house,” she managed to get out and he nodded his encouragement, “I left….to go home?”

“Yes, good girl.”

“I got home and Spencer- Spencer! Rick!” She tried to get out of the bed as everything came flooding back to her.

“Easy, easy,” he put his hand on her shoulder to keep her in the bed, “you’re safe. He’s been arrested,” but she was breathing heavily and grimacing in pain.

“I think it would be best if you saved your questioning for later in the morning,” Dr. Rhee said to Martinez. Her tone held no room for argument and he had no choice but to nod.

“I can be here around ten?” He looked at Rick.

“I’ll be here,” he nodded and Martinez left.

“Rick?” 

“It’s ok,” he told her, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you again. I promise.” The nurse, Beth, came back in the room, holding a syringe, and handed it to the doctor.

“Emma,” Dr. Rhee said, “this is a strong painkiller. It’ll help you sleep. You need to rest. We can talk about your injuries and your recovery before you talk to the police.”

“Don’t go,” she pleaded with him.

“I’m not going anywhere.” And although he wanted nothing more than to hunt that asshole down and beat the living shit out of him, his priority was Emma and she needed him. 

“Where’s Daryl?” She asked as the doctor put the syringe in her IV line.

“He’s at home,” he answered.

“Does he know?”

“I told him what I knew. I’m going back to let him out, but I’ll come right back,” he saw that her eyelids were already starting to droop.

“Wish he was here," she said slowly. "He’s good at….comforting....me.”

“Oh he is?” He teased her lightly as she tried to fight the medication.

“Yeah,” her voice was slurring, “that day Spen...cer texted me. I cried, he let me…..hold on to him. Like….like….a pillar…..holding me up.” And she lost the fight. Her eyes closed and her breathing evened out. Rick pulled the only chair up next to the bed and dropped into it.

“She is going to be fine,” Dr. Rhee said again, but she was giving Rick a strange look, like she was trying to figure out what Emma was talking about before she succumbed to the pain medication. 

“What’s her recovery going to be like?” Rick asked, wanting to bring her attention back to Emma’s injuries and not their private lives.

“She’ll be in the casts for several weeks,” she answered, “maybe a little bit of physical therapy. But it’s not her body you need to worry about.”

“What do you mean?”

“She was attacked in her own home. She’ll most likely have some trauma from it. You need to be there for her.”

“Don’t worry,” he looked the woman dead in the eye, “I will be,” he promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally meant to wait until tomorrow to post this, but I couldn't help myself.


	17. Daryl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl faces his fears for Emma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably my favorite chapter. Contains some slight Andrea bashing.

Daryl never went back to sleep after Master left. He stayed curled in his caged, holding Pooh bear close, worrying about Emma. He wondered if the person who hurt her was the Spencer she and Rick were talking about earlier. He shivered, hating the idea of her being hurt. He knew what it was like to be hurt; he didn’t want her to be hurt the way he had been when he was a little boy, beaten by his father, or a teenager, living on the streets. 

Thinking about Emma being hurt enough to go to the hospital made him cry, his tears quickly soaking the stuffed bear she gave him. He cried until he no longer felt sadness but anger. Anger at the man who thought it was ok to hurt Emma. She’d never hurt anyone, why would someone want to hurt her? He wanted to see her, to be there for her. He thought about the day she cried in the kitchen and she held onto him. He wondered if she was as sad now. If she was, he needed to be there for her, needed to comfort her.  
He didn’t know how much time past but he knew the sun was barely up by the time he finally heard Master open the front door. 

“Daryl?” He called out. Daryl sat up and whined. Rick appeared and opened the cage door; he looked so tired. ”Come on, baby, let’s go out.” Daryl did as he was told, but he was determined to get answers after he went out. He went to his usual spot, relieved his bladder, and scrambled back inside. Rick was sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. Daryl put his head in his master’s lap and whined loudly.

“Hey, buddy. Guess you wanna know what happened?”

Daryl nodded and whined again. Rick slid out of the chair and sat on the floor so they were eye to eye.

“She’s going to be fine, but it’s not going to be easy. Her leg and wrist are broken; they had to do surgery to fix them and she has casts on both of them. She has some broken ribs, right here,” he touched Daryl’s bare torso, on the right side of his tummy. “She has a lot of bruises and cuts, but the doctor says she’ll heal just fine. But I’ve got to get back to the hospital soon. Let’s eat some breakfast real quick, ok sweetheart?” 

Daryl went and sat next to his bowl, making sure Rick knew he understood everything, that Master was in a hurry, that Emma needed him to go back. As he ate the dry cereal Master gave him, he wondered if Emma needed him too. 

Rick brushed their teeth after the quick breakfast and went to the bedroom to put on some fresh clothes. Daryl jumped up on the bed to watch him and whined again. 

“She really is going to be ok, baby. She woke up while I was there and we got to talk for a minute.” Rick sat down on the bed and petted his hair. “She even asked about you. Said she wished you were there,” Rick smiled in what he thought was a reassuring way, but Daryl felt his heart stop. Emma needed him, she wished that he was there with her. In the hospital. Hospital’s were scary, but Emma wanted him there. Maybe she did need him to comfort her. He jumped off the bed and crawled to the closet. He rummaged through the shoes on the floor, found his own, and threw them over his shoulder with his mittened hands, one at a time.

“Daryl!” Rick ducked from the flying shoes. “What are you doing?”

He stood up, grabbed his jeans in his teeth, went back to all fours and carried them to Master. He dropped them at Rick’s feet and whined.

“Daryl, I-” understanding dawned on Rick. “You want to go to the hospital.” Daryl gave one curt nod. He knelt down and put his hand on Daryl’s neck. “Baby, this wouldn’t be like walk and talk. The hospital….it can be scary. I don’t want you to be afraid.”

Daryl knew this and he was already afraid, but Emma needed him and that was more important than his own fears. He nosed the jeans in the floor. He was determined, he was going with Master whether he wore clothes or not.

“Daryl….are you sure?”

He nodded again and whispered, “She needs me.”

Rick let out a choked sob and dropped his head in his hands. Daryl scooted closer and pushed his head between Rick’s head and hand, forcing them apart. He fell against Daryl’s neck and cried. He nuzzled his master’s ear in silent comfort and Rick wrapped his arms around him. They didn’t stay that way for long; Rick was able to compose himself quickly. He kissed Daryl sweetly and then helped him to get dressed. Master let him bring Pooh and they left the house in a rush.

The ride to the hospital was long and tense. Master said there was a lot of traffic, but Daryl didn’t completely understand what he meant by that.

“We’ll be there soon, baby,” Rick broke the silence several minutes later. “I don’t want to scare you but I want you to be prepared ok?” Daryl nodded. “There will be a lot people moving very fast but they won’t hurt you. It may be loud. It will be bright. And Emma doesn’t look her best right now. There are bruises on her face, her arms. Her hands were cut up really bad when she tried to defend herself.” That got Daryl’s attention and he whipped his head around to look at his Master. Rick saw the wonder in Daryl’s eyes and nodded. “She fought back. Did some damage too, from what I’ve heard.” Daryl felt something stir in his chest; it felt warm and happy. He was glad Emma fought back, he was glad she was able to help herself. Rick pulled into the hospital parking deck and parked the car. “Daryl, are you sure you want to do this? There will be a police officer that will come and she has to tell him what happened. If she wants us to stay in the room when she talks to him, you’ll have to hear it and it may be hard.” 

Daryl nodded. In some ways, he wanted to know what happened, but only if she wanted him to know. She was his Mistress, even if she didn’t live with them yet, and Daryl would give her whatever she wanted and needed. 

And Rick was right, the hospital was scary. Daryl held his hand tightly as he led him through the confusing hallways. He could hear people shouting and crying; the smell of cleaning solutions and medicines burned his nose; and the overhead lights hurt his eyes. But he kept going. Master never let go of his hand and he drew comfort from that. He was going to see his Mistress and nothing, not even scary hospitals, could stop him.

After several tense minutes, Rick finally stopped in front of a door that was slightly open. He knocked on it with his free hand and it opened a bit.

“Hello?” Rick called.

“Come on in!” It was Emma’s voice and Daryl’s heart leapt. Rick led the way, keeping Daryl just behind his shoulder as they walked through the door. The room was small and full of beeping machines that he didn’t understand. A woman in grey scrubs was checking one of the machines and Daryl had to look around her to see Emma. She was lying in the hospital bed, wearing the gown Rick had told him about. She was hooked up to the beeping machines and she looked so tired. He saw the cast on her arm and the one on her leg, both on her right side. A clear tube was attached to her left arm and Daryl wondered how she could even move with all of those things on her. She was bruised everywhere and he saw the bandages on her hands and the one on her arm. But she was still Emma; she was still his mistress and he wanted to make her feel better.

“Look who came with me!” Rick asked right when they came into her view.

“Daryl?” She looked at him with wide eyes, like she couldn’t believe it. “Oh my god! Daryl!” She held up her left arm like she was going to embrace him, but she couldn’t get up.

“Go ahead, sweetheart,” Rick encouraged him. “Be gentle, though.” 

Daryl walked hesitantly to her, side stepping the nurse who was trying to watch the three of them and do her job at the same time, and put himself inside of her arm. She wrapped it around his back and pulled him to her shoulder. 

“My sweet, brave boy,” she whispered to him. He whimpered into her neck and she clutched him tighter. “Lean up for me, angel,” she said and he did when she relaxed her grip. Keeping one hand on him, she scooted away from him, gasping when she did.

“Emma!” Rick came up to her right side. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Give me a hand,” she said, “I just want to make room on the bed.” And Daryl understood that she meant for him to lay down next to her. Unfortunately, so did the nurse.

“Miss Martin,” she said primly, “I don’t think that’s the best idea.”

“Well, thankfully, I didn’t ask your opinion, did I?” She snapped through gritted teeth. Rick was holding her arm above the cast, helping her to move as gently as possible, but it still caused her pain.

“Don’t-” Daryl started to whisper; he didn’t want her to hurt anymore than she already was.

“Done,” she interrupted him. “Slip your shoes off before you climb up here.” He took them off and pushed them under the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for her to push the long tube out of the way before he laid down beside her. She patted her shoulder and he put his head there, being so careful as he scooted closer to her. 

“Easy,” Rick said, but his voice was encouraging and it only took a few more seconds for the both of them to be situated comfortably; Daryl on his side, facing his mistress, as she had her left arm wrapped around his back, holding him in place. His breath could tickle her neck.

“Miss Martin,” the nurse tried again, “I’m not sure the doctor would approve of-”

“Do you actually need anything else?” Emma interrupted her.

“Well, no I-” the nurse spluttered.

“Ok, then you can go.” Daryl shivered at the coldness in Emma’s tone but he was glad when the nurse left. When the door closed, leaving them alone, she sighed. “That’s Andrea, she replaced Beth at shift change.” Rick nodded. “I want Beth back,” Emma finished darkly and Rick gave an amused huff.

“How are you feeling?” Rick asked.

“So much better now,” she whispered into Daryl’s hair before she kissed it. Her lips stayed touched to his head for longer than usual and he felt more than heard the shuddering breath she took through her nose. The breath turned into gasps and soon she was sobbing into his hair. He put his arm around her tummy, still being very careful, and pushed his nose into her collarbone. He licked at the exposed skin he could reach and she cried even harder. This was why she needed him. She knew he was there for her and though he hated that she was hurt, he was happy that he made Master bring him to the hospital. 

Rick knelt beside the bed, put his hand on her shoulder and started running his fingers through her hair as she cried. Daryl nuzzled her neck and licked her ear so that she knew he was there.

“We’re here, baby,” Rick soothed. “We’re both right here.” 

“Don’t go,” she sobbed.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Rick told her.

“Never leave you, Mistress,” Daryl whispered before he could stop himself. Emma choked on a sob and pulled back so that she could look at him better. 

“What did he say?” Rick asked, trying to get even closer to the two of them. She didn’t answer at first and Daryl felt a thrill of fear in his tummy. He looked up and met her eyes.

“He called me ‘Mistress’,” she whispered, answering Rick but never taking her eyes from Daryl.

“Move in with us,” Rick said in reply and her head turned to face him. “Be his Mistress. Please Emma.”

“And you and I?” 

“Tell me what you need,” Rick answered breathless, “and I’ll give you everything. We can’t live without you, baby. Please.”

“Please, Mistress,” Daryl whispered. He couldn’t lose her now, not when they almost already had. She kissed the top of his head and turned back to Rick.

“I was going to show up this morning with my car as packed as I could get it,” her voice was thick. “Of course, I’ll move in with you.”

Daryl had to remember that she was in pain because all he wanted to do was jump up and down, hold her tightly, and lick and kiss every inch of her that he could reach, all at once. His happiness was impossible to describe, count, even name. She was moving in! Emma would be his Mistress. He had two people who loved him, who would care for him. He had a family; he was part of a family.

Rick released the breath he was holding and leaned in and kissed her lips, gently but passionately. “We’ll figure it all out. Together.”

“Together,” she said.

“I love you, Mistress,” Daryl said.

“I love you too, angel,” she said into his hair before she kissed him again.

“You should try to get some more rest,” Rick said to Emma, “before Martinez comes to take your statement.”

Emma sighed sadly, “I don’t want to do this, Rick.”

“I know, sweetheart, but we’ll be here. If you want us to be,” he added.

“I don’t think I could if you weren’t.”

Rick nodded. “Rest, Emma. That goes for you too, pup,” he said to Daryl. Daryl huffed but closed his eyes to try and do as he was told. Emma ran her fingers through his hair, and although he knew he would be happier sucking on her nipples, he soon fell fast asleep. It wasn’t long before Emma followed him into sleep, lulled peacefully but Rick’s hand petting her own hair.

 

“Time to wake up, you two,” Rick pet both of them gently and soon Daryl was aware that he’d fallen asleep curled around Emma in her hospital bed. 

“Is he here?” Emma asked sleepily, but Daryl wasn’t sure who she meant.

“He is,” Rick answered solemnly. Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Would you like Daryl to stay on the bed with you?”

“Yes, please,” she said as she tightened her hold on him.

“Keep Mistress calm,” Rick said to Daryl. He nuzzled into her neck to reply; he would do whatever his mistress needed. Rick walked to the room door, opened it, and called for someone to come in. He was dressed in a police uniform and Daryl wondered if he worked with Master.

“Emma,” Rick said, drawing both of their attentions, “this is Jose Martinez, he’s the Sheriff of Cobb County. He needs to take your statement.”

Daryl felt Emma nod, but she didn’t speak. He looked up at the stranger through the hair that fell into his eyes and felt himself blush. The man was downright staring at the two of them, with his mouth hanging open. Thankfully, Master noticed.

“It’s rude to stare, Martinez,” Rick chuckled. “That’s Daryl. He and I will stay with Emma, so just get on with it.”

The man, Martinez, snapped his mouth shut and approached the bed slowly. “Miss Martin, Rick has already given me a few details of last night, but I’m going to need to you answer some questions.” Emma nodded again but didn’t speak yet. “Do you remember what time you left Rick’s house?”

“It was sometime after midnight, I think, but I didn’t go straight home.”

“What?” Rick asked, this was news to him. Daryl could hear the frustration in his master’s tone and he gently licked at Emma’s neck, telling her to not be afraid.

“I called Ann,” she answered, looking at Rick, “I had to pull over while I was on the phone.”

“How long was that phone call?” The officer asked, pulling out a small notepad.

“Maybe five minutes,” Daryl felt her try to shrug but she hissed in pain. “She had to talk me down,” she sounded apologetic and he knew she was explaining to Master.

Rick chuckled, “Of course.”

“Down?” Martinez asked.

“That is not relevant to your investigation,” Rick quipped.

“But-”

“Move on, Martinez.” 

The man sighed in frustration, but did as he was told. “So you got home around what time?”

“It was probably around 12:45 or so. I think the door might have already been unlocked…..but I’m not sure.”

“What happened when you went inside the apartment?” Martinez asked gently. 

Daryl felt Emma start to tremble and he pushed his nose into her neck; she tightened his hold on him even more.

“He was waiting for me,” she whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to leave you guys on a cliffhanger again. The beginning of the next chapter is a flashback of what happened between Spencer and Emma. As previously stated, this chapter will contain a trigger warning: attempted rape, violence, and language. I hope that by giving details of her injuries the scene itself won't be so shocking. It's at the very beginning and there will be a break in the page when it goes back to her giving her statement in the hospital, so you can completely skip it if you need to.   
> As always thank you so much for reading and all the great comments, they make my heart happy!


	18. Emma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma's account of the attack and some hospital snuggles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter begins with a flashback of Spencer's attack. As previously stated, there is NO rape/sexual assault, but it is attempted. The attack is described in detail (if reading about the sound of broken bones and blood is too much, I suggest you skip it). There is a break designated by a line of asterisks when the scene goes back to the hospital, if you want to skip the attack.   
> The second part of the chapter is sweet and fluffy, with a little bit more Andrea bashing.

“You missed your curfew, you dirty fucking slut.”

“Spencer,” she breathed out, “what the hell are you doing here?”

“I came for my fuck,” he pushed off the counter and started walking toward her, putting the half empty fifth of whiskey down on her kitchen table. 

“How’d you get in here?” She asked, her instincts screaming to keep him talking while she took a small step backwards.

“That’s not really important is it? Why don’t you just get on your knees like a good little sub and let me fuck that sweet mouth first.”

“That’s not how it works,” she said, her whole body shaking. “I’m not your sub.”

“Oh but you know you want to be, don’t you, Emma?” He took a step towards her, she took a step away.

“No,” she answered forcefully, “I already belong to someone else.” She’d give anything to turn back time, to have turned her car around after she hung up the phone with Ann and gone back to Rick and Daryl. 

“You fucking bitch! You belong to me!”

His words sent white hot panic down her spine and she turned and sprinted toward the door. But he beat her too it, all too easily. She instantly turned and ran the opposite direction, her thoughts going lightning quick to the window in her bedroom but he caught her just as she ran past the kitchen, wrapped his arm around her waist and slammed her down on her kitchen table.

She screamed out in pain and he laughed. “Oh you like the pain, don’t you, you whore? That’s what you get up to at that freak club,” he leered down at her, grabbing her wrists. His breath reeked of whiskey and she nearly gagged from it. He pushed his hips between her legs and she thrashed, trying to get away from him. “Ah, ah, ah,” he taunted. Then he let go of her, confident that she’d just lie there and take it, and tried to take off her clothes. She reached up over her head and grabbed the first thing her hand touched: the glass bottle of whiskey. She brought it up and over with every ounce of strength she had and slammed it into the side of his face. He yelled in surprise and pain as the bottle broke against his head. Glass flew everywhere. Emma jumped up from the table despite the debris and tried to get away from the man once again. He recovered quicker than she thought he would and grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her back. But he let go and the momentum carried her until she hit the counter. He came at her and she brandished her makeshift weapon, holding the broken bottle by the handle. She slashed his face again, his neck, his hands as he raised them. They were screaming, blood and glass were flying everywhere. Before she could cut him again, he grabbed her wrist and bent it back. The bone snapped and she released the broken bottle; it clattered to the floor, the sound of it breaking completely drowned out by her shrieks. 

He kept trying to remove her clothes and though she was in agonizing pain, she still fought him off with everything she had. She punched with her left hand, the unbroken one, and somehow she made contact with his nose. She scrambled away, but collided with a kitchen chair and fell over it. He threw his body on top of hers and started unbuttoning his pants and trying to rut against her ass.

“No! No! No!” She screamed. She slammed her head backward and busted his lip. He fell off of her enough for her to crawl over the chair and away from him. He stood up and slammed his booted foot down on her shin as it slid across the chair, suspended above the floor. The crack from the breaking bone resounded throughout the room. Pain radiated throughout her body and she vomited on the floor. 

“Ugh! Disgusting bitch!” Spencer grabbed her hair and threw her again so that she slammed against the floor. Her head hit first and she felt herself losing consciousness. Spencer towered over her, but she couldn’t see or hear him. She saw Rick, looking at her with piercing blue eyes just before he kissed her; she heard Daryl, asking her with his sweet voice to stay with them ‘always’. And then everything went black.

 

**************************************************************************************************************************************

 

“And that’s all I remember,” she choked out. Tears were streaming down her face and into Daryl’s hair. He was the only thing holding her together, literally. He never moved from her side, though she could feel his tears falling on her neck. Daryl kept her grounded in the present. His touch reminded her that she wasn’t there again; that, though she had to think about it and talk about it, she would never have to physically go through it again. 

“Thank you, Miss Martin,” the sheriff said. “This will really help during the bail hearing.”

“Am I going to have to be there?” She asked with trepidation.

“I’m hoping that for now, we can avoid that. I’m sure Rick will let you know.”

“Are you done?” Rick asked him. “She needs to rest.”

“Of course,” Martinez said and made to leave.

“Give me a minute and I’ll walk you out,” Rick told him, gesturing to the door. Rick came back to the bed and knelt down so that he was eye level with Emma. “Will you be ok?”

“We’ll be fine.”

“I’m proud of you,” Rick said as he kissed her forehead. Then he moved to Daryl’s and kissed him there as well. “Stay with Mistress. I’ll be right back.” And he left the two of them in the bed. 

Even though she was in pain, physically and emotionally, hearing Rick refer to her as Daryl’s Mistress made her heart glow. She kissed the spot that Rick had only moments ago and Daryl looked up at her and whimpered.

“I’m fine, sweet angel,” she repositioned and grimaced at the pain. “At least, I will be. It’s the ribs that hurt the worst. I can feel it every time I breathe. I don’t even really know when they broke, during….all of that, but,” she sighed and didn’t finish her thought. “Thank you for being here. I could not have done that without you Daryl.” He licked her cheek and she smiled. They laid together in companionable silence until Rick came back.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, sitting in the chair on Emma’s side of the bed.

“I’m in a little bit of pain. But,” she stopped him before he could press the call button, “don’t call the nurse yet.” She did grab his hand. “What’s going to happen now?” She had to know, she needed to know, that he had a plan, that he was in control of the situation, that he was going to take care of her and Daryl.

Rick brushed her hair back with his other hand. “Right now, I’m going wait here until the doctor comes and we get a timeline for when we can bust you out. Then, I’m going to get the key to your apartment and start moving your stuff to our place.”

Emma couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face when Rick called it ‘our place,’ because she knew that she was included in that. She suddenly couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital and go home, knowing that Rick’s little house would be waiting for her. It felt more like home than her crappy apartment ever did. He saw her smile, put his hand on her cheek and leaned in. His lips brushed lightly against her own and she returned the kiss just as softly. Just as he pulled away, she felt Daryl’s lips kiss her cheek.

“The two of you are going to spoil me,” she chuckled and then grimaced. Laughing made her ribs hurt.

“I think it’s time for some pain medicine now,” Rick decided. He pressed the nurse’s call button before she could protest again.

“Yes,” an irritated voice came through the speakers and Emma frowned for a whole new reason.

“I think she’s in need of some pain medicine,” Rick said pleasantly.

“I’ll send someone in a minute,” the woman’s voice said.

“I miss Beth,” Emma said once again. “Did you know she’s Dr. Rhee’s sister?”

“Really?” Rick answered, smiling at her. “When does she come back?” He asked gently, pushing her hair back from her face.

“Not till tonight, she’s on night shift,” she answered, just as the door opened and Andrea came in with a syringe.

“I think it’s time for you relax, Miss Martin,” she said in her snobbish tone, still unhappy with the bed arrangement.

“I think it’s time for you to shut the fuck up,” Emma grumbled, low enough that the nurse couldn’t quite understand what she said. She got the gist though.

“When will the doctor be in?” Rick inquired, trying to prevent the brewing altercation. 

“Probably within the hour, but Miss Martin will most likely still be asleep,” she told him as she pushed the medicine into Emma’s IV.

“Will you please send her in, anyway?” He asked, ever polite. “I have some questions for her.”

“Are you family?”

“He’s my boyfriend and emergency contact,” Emma snapped, quickly tiring just of Andrea’s presence. “So if he has questions, they need to be answered. I don’t care if I’m asleep.” Emma saw Rick bite his lip to keep from laughing and then he gave Andrea a look that said ‘better do what she says.’ Andrea huffed and left.

“You’re like a tiger,” Rick laughed.

“She’s judgemental,” Emma surmised, holding tighter to Daryl. “She’s trying to figure this out,” she gestured to the three of them, “and I don’t like it.” But she did take a deep, painful breath as she started to feel the effects of the medication. 

“Sleep, my little tiger,” Rick pet her, “you too, pup,” he ruffled Daryl’s hair. “I’m going to wait for the doctor.”

“Don’t go without telling me,” she pleaded.

“I wouldn’t dare,” he smiled and leaned in to kiss her. His lips against hers and Daryl’s against her neck was the last thing she felt as she let the medicine pull her under.


	19. Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick takes Emma home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise everyone! I finally finished this story, so in celebration, I'll post every day for the next three days!

Trying to get Emma out of the hospital was more difficult than Rick originally anticipated. It had been two days since Spencer’s assault but the doctors insisted on one last check up, blood work and scans and Rick could tell Emma just wanted to leave. She was tired of being poked and prodded and she was frustrated at her lack of mobility. She couldn’t sign the discharge papers with her right hand and Rick watched her struggle to sign with her left, wishing there was something else he could do. To make matters worse, that god awful nurse, Andrea, was the one handling everything and it was obvious that she was trying to wheedle information out of the two of them about where Daryl was and what he was to them, the dynamics of their relationship. Frankly, it pissed him off that someone could be so blatantly nosy about something that was absolutely none of her concern. Her probing questions settled on Emma’s shoulders like weights and Rick had to snap at the woman more than once to get her to stop. By the time the doctors finally deemed her well enough to leave, and gone over her home care instructions at least five times, he was allowed to take her home. 

Thanks to Rick’s quick thinking and expedited shipping, their new king-sized bed was up and ready, complete with new sheets and comforter, when he brought her home. Daryl was waiting in his cage and whined when he saw them enter the bedroom.

“Just a second, buddy,” Rick called to him. He wheeled Emma to the side of the bed, helped her to stand on one leg, and eased her onto the new bed.

“When did you get this?” She asked him.

“Right after your surgery,” he answered with a small smile. “I wasn’t going to let you go home by yourself, no matter what, and I thought we could use the extra space.” He gently picked up her legs and settled her against a mountain of pillows, using two to prop up her broken leg. “Comfy?” He asked her.

“As much as can be expected,” she grimaced, getting situated. “Let Daryl out, you’ve been with me all damn day.”

He moved to Daryl’s cage, knowing better than to reply. She was exhausted and more frustrated than he’d ever seen her, not that he could blame her at all for that. He knew what it felt like to be barely mobile, to suddenly realize you can’t be you, at least for a little while. 

“Come on, buddy, you can see her after you go out ok?” He followed Daryl to the bedroom door but they both stopped when they heard Emma call out softly.

“Hurry?” Rick turned back and saw her eyes, how close she was to the edge, how much she needed them both.

“Of course,” he gave her a small smile, which seemed to help. Then he let Daryl out, staying close to him as he went to his usual spot in the yard to relieve himself. They both hurried back inside, back to Emma. Rick had laid her on the right side of the bed, the side closest to the door. It was normally his side, but he didn’t want Daryl to be clambering over her broken leg when he slept in between them, which was Rick’s plan. He led Daryl to the end of the bed, in the middle and encouraged him to jump up. “Be careful, sweetheart.” Daryl whined and Emma lifted her arm in invitation. Rick watched as he settled against her.

“Hey, sweet angel,” she whispered, as he laid down on her shoulder. “Missed you yesterday.”

After that first full day in the hospital, Rick made Daryl stay at home. He himself only went to the hospital after work that day, letting her get as much rest as possible. Once Daryl and Emma both seemed settled, he climbed in the bed, on Daryl’s other side and laid as close to him as possible. He felt Daryl sigh at the contact of being between both him and Emma. Rick laid his arm across Daryl’s side and was able to touch Emma’s chest as well.

“Should I go make lunch?” He asked.

“Don’t go yet,” she whispered. “This is nice. I don’t want to move.”

“I’d bring it in here,” he told her.

“I don’t want you to move either,” he heard her smile. “Did you buy this bed, just because I got hurt?”

“I was going to buy it the minute you told me yes. Much more roomy, don’t you think?”

She chuckled weakly, “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to. Daryl doesn’t always sleep in the bed with me, but he did when you were here. I wanted to be prepared,” he explained. He hesitated, not sure how she would take his next piece of information, but he needed to tell her. The only way this was going to work was if they were all honest with each other and this would just be the very beginning. “I have to tell you something else I did,” he started, “and I’m not sure how you’re going to take it, but I don’t want you to be upset.”

“That sounds dangerous,” she stated.

He smiled but took a deep breath, “I’ve taken a leave of absence from work.”

“What?” She tried to sit up, but between Daryl laying on her shoulder and the pain in her ribs, she stayed on the bed, gasping in pain.

Rick was up immediately and ran around to her side, trying to soothe her and be there for her through the worst of it. “Easy. Just breathe.” He took deep breaths himself and was pleased when she copied him. Soon they were breathing at the same time and the pain subsided. 

“Rick-” she tried to argue.

“No,” he stopped her gently, “just listen, baby, please. I’ve gotten it all worked out. I have a lot of vacation and sick days built up. I’ve gotten it worked out to take a month’s leave. I’m not going to leave you here, day in and day out, barely able to move.”

“Daryl-”

“All of this is new to Daryl,” Rick explained gently as the pup in question lifted his head, “I can’t expect either of you to spend all day alone. And to be perfectly honest, I would be useless at work. I’d do nothing all day but worry about you both.” He smoothed her hair back from her face. “I want to take care you of, Emma. Please let me.”

“I’m afraid this is more than you bargained for,” she told him with tears in her eyes.

“It doesn’t matter what I’ve bargained for. What matters is that you’re alive, you’re here, and you’re safe.”

“Rick?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Will you shut up and kiss me?”

He chuckled and smiled, leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. They’d had a few small, soft kisses while she was in the hospital, but this one was more like the one they shared Saturday night before she left the house. Her lips parted at his contact and he slid his tongue in between them, brushing against hers. She tasted incredible, like need and desire and a certain helplessness that drew him in like a moth to the flame. He moaned into her mouth, deepening the kiss when he heard a small whine. She started laughing in the middle of their kiss and he pulled away, laughing as well when he saw Daryl, in full on pout at being left out. 

“I haven’t forgotten you, sweet angel boy,” she said, turning her head. Daryl pushed himself up and licked cautiously at her lips. Rick ran his fingers through her hair, encouraging her. He saw her part her lips and he knew Daryl would, hesitantly, take advantage of the opening. He let them continue their kiss, but started pressing his lips along her neck, refusing to be left out himself. 

But soon, he could feel Emma’s breathing becoming ragged with pain and he pulled away from them both. He put his hand on the back of Daryl’s head to get his attention. He pulled away from Emma’s lips to look at Rick with sad eyes.

“I know, baby,” Rick said, “but she needs her rest. We have to take things slow.”

“He’s right, angel,” she ran her hand up and down Daryl’s bare back, before turning back to Rick. “I wish you had discussed it with me before you took the leave of absence…..but I’m glad you did. I should warn you, I may not be the happiest person over the next few days.”

“I know,” he said with all of his understanding. “Let me make you lunch. I’ll bring it in here and then you can take a nap. We’ll talk some more after that.”

Rick made sure she ate all of her sandwich, as well as all the medication she needed. He walked back and forth between the bedroom and the kitchen, making sure Daryl ate as well. He knew that if he kept this up, he’d wear a path in the carpet, but for the moment, it couldn’t be helped. After he watched her wash down her pills, he let Daryl out and then let him crawl back into bed with Emma.

“Both of you should rest,” he told them, leaning over the bed. He kissed them both on the forehead, wondering how he got so lucky to have not one, but two such special people in his life. Thankfully, neither of them argued, but closed their eyes and settled against each other. Rick new that Daryl brought Emma just as much comfort as she did for Daryl. To see them so comfortable with each other was a privilege. And though he hated the events that had transpired, he knew that Emma was home where she belonged.


	20. Daryl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick, Daryl, and Emma get used to living together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *whispers* Psst, hey guys, there's stuff and thangs!

Over the next month, Daryl was determined to be helpful to his master and new mistress. Things weren’t perfect, but any time they disagreed over something, they both took time to explain to Daryl why and that it was ok to not always agree. 

Like the night after Emma came home from the hospital, they argued about her going back to school. Daryl didn’t even know someone could go to school for that long. Rick was against Emma going back and Emma was determined to go.

“Is it because you’d have to drive me every day?” Emma asked, aggravated at dinner.

“Of course not, but that’s beside the point-“

“Then what is the point?” She asked.

“I don’t want you to hurt anymore,” Rick answered bluntly. 

“Rick,” Daryl looked up from his bowl, cause he knew that tone: gentle but firm, “I have to go back. I don’t want this to stop me from getting my degree. I’m so close to finishing the semester, but if I don’t finish it, I’ll have to repeat it in the fall. It’ll put me half a year behind. Please.”

Daryl crawled to his mistress and put his head in her lap. Listen to Master, he thought, he knows what’s best. Emma pet Daryl’s hair but didn’t say anything to him. He finally heard Rick sigh.

“What time’s your first class?”

“8:30,” she answered him.

“I’ll drive you in the morning.”

“Thank you, Rick.”

Daryl was confused. He left Emma’s lap and crawled to Rick’s.

“Finished already?” Master asked him. Daryl shook his head. Rick looked under the table and saw his confusion. “What’s wrong sweetheart?” He reached out to pet him, but Daryl crawled back to Emma and nudged at her good leg, sat down, and whined. 

“Daryl, what’s wrong?” Emma asked this time. He huffed in frustration. 

“Daryl,” Rick got his attention, “were you listening to us while you ate?” One whine for yes. “Do you understand what we were talking about?” Two whines for no. Rick huffed a laugh. “Go finish your dinner and we’ll talk afterwards.”

Daryl did as he was told, happy he’d be getting an explanation. He went back to his bowl and heard Emma’s voice.

“What was that about?”

“I think he’s confused as to why you were arguing with me,” Rick laughed and he heard Emma laugh with him.

After they all finished eating, Rick wheeled Emma to the living room and sat on the couch with Daryl. They both explained about Emma’s school and that even though Rick wanted her to stay home and focus on healing, it was ultimately her decision and he would respect it. It was important to her, Rick said, to not let her injuries stop her from doing what she loved. And as long as it didn’t injure her further, he would support it. 

There were other discussions like that, as the days went by, that Daryl needed help understanding. Emma called it growing pains. He didn’t quite understand what that meant, but she smiled as she said it and ruffled his hair. He didn’t feel any pain, maybe she was talking about her broken bones.

For the most part, Daryl was just incredibly happy. He slept in between his master and mistress every night, always careful of her broken ribs. He felt perfectly content settling in between them. But about a week after she came home, the shorts Master kept sleeping in had to go.

They were getting ready for bed, Emma was already settled and he and Master had just finished brushing their teeth. Rick walked to his side of the bed and tried to climb in but Daryl stopped him. 

“Daryl! What the?” He had to stop and laugh because Daryl had caught the bottom of his sleep shorts between his teeth and was trying with all his might to pull them off. 

“What is it?” Emma asked.

“I think he’s tired of me coming to bed clothed,” Rick said.

“Did you use to sleep naked?” She asked and Daryl yipped in reply before Rick could say anything. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Daryl pulled on the shorts again, making them slide down his master’s waist a little bit. “You’re not gonna win this one,” she smiled.

“You don’t mind?” 

“Rick?”

“Yeah?”

“You ever gonna stop asking me stupid questions?”

Rick shucked his shorts much to Daryl’s delight and climbed in the bed. Daryl climbed up as well but stayed at the foot of the bed as Master crawled to the middle by Mistress.

“Anyone ever told you how sassy you can be?” He asked her and she put her book down.

“Maybe a time or two,” she smirked at him before Rick leaned down and kissed her. It was heated and intense and Daryl was not going to be left out this time. He shimmed up the bed so that he was in between Emma and Rick at their waists. He saw master’s naked cock growing hard and didn’t hesitate. He wrapped his lips around his master, humming at the familiar taste. He heard Rick gasp when he pulled away from Emma’s lips.

“Oh my god,” Rick groaned. Daryl heard the sounds of more kisses and he licked and slurped at Master’s flesh, his own cock growing hard in response.

“Holy fuck,” Emma breathed. “Rick.” And Daryl felt their kisses get rougher, felt Master’s body move with all the sensations. He knew his master was close and he worked his mouth even more in the way he knew Rick liked. 

“So close,” Rick panted.

“Will he swallow you?” Daryl could hear the desire in her voice.

“Every drop,” he gasped in reply. His cock had hit the back of Daryl’s throat and Daryl hummed around it. 

“Come for us, Rick,” Emma instructed softly. “I want my tongue in your mouth when you come down his throat.”

“Fuck yes,” Rick came with a muffled shout and Daryl quickly swallowed all of his seed. He sucked until Master’s cock was soft in his mouth. 

“Rick, you’re trembling,” Daryl heard Emma say.

“That was….intense,” Master said. He put his hand on Daryl’s hair to get him to stop. Daryl pulled off and rubbed his face into his master’s hip. 

“Good intense?” She asked.

“Hell yeah,” he laughed back. “You know, if Daryl and I are going to be naked in bed, it’s only fair that you follow the rule as well.” 

Daryl perked up at that. He loved it when Emma slept without her shirt on and he hadn’t suckled at her in so long. His excitement did not go unnoticed.

“See,” Rick said, “he agrees.” But she didn’t reply and Daryl saw her face fall. “You don’t,” he guessed and Daryl was confused again. Why would she want to sleep in clothes?   
“Tell me,” he could hear the command in Master’s voice.

“I….I’m still….bruised,” she said, not looking at either of them. 

Daryl knew that word. He’d spent most of his life covered in bruises that he was ashamed of. But those bruises weren’t his fault and neither were hers and he wanted her to know that. He pushed his way in between Master and Mistress, forcing Rick to move away from her body.

“Daryl?” Rick didn’t understand what he was doing but he moved to give him room. 

Daryl moved up beside Emma, nosed at her breast, and whined. He looked up at her but she didn’t say anything, so he nosed at her again, whining louder this time. She still didn’t move or speak so he decided to take further action, he didn’t want her to feel ashamed. He moved his head to the bottom of her tshirt. He gripped it with his teeth and started to pull it up over her tummy.

“Daryl!” She tried to push it back down but Rick grabbed her hand. 

“You’re not going to win this one,” he said gently and Daryl continued to push her shirt up, now with Rick’s help. When the first bruise was visible, Daryl stopped and looked at it. It was green and yellow and big, just as big as he’d had when he was a little boy. He leaned down and licked at it, barely letting his tongue touch her skin, to make sure it wouldn’t hurt, but also to let her know that she shouldn’t be ashamed. He licked as Rick pushed her shirt up, Emma’s whimpers filling his ears whenever he moved to a new bruise. He licked at them with the gentleness of a newborn kitten but with determination, as if his tongue alone could heal them. When Rick finally revealed her breasts, Daryl disregarded the rest of the bruises and immediately latched on to her nipple. It had been so long since he’d suckled at her, he sighed in contentment at the feeling of her skin on his tongue. 

“Ahhh, hmmmm,” she hummed at the feeling of him, “sweet angel boy.” She ran her fingers through his hair, but he could hear tears in her voice. He felt Master pressed up against his back, reaching over him.

“Christ, you’re beautiful,” he heard Master say.

“I’m not beautiful, Rick. I’m broken.”

Daryl continued to suck her nipple as he heard Rick say, “Look at me, Emma.” Daryl glanced up and saw his master and mistress looking at each other, both very serious. “You are beautiful. Here,” Daryl saw him touch her cheek and then moved his hand down to her chest, “and here. What he did doesn’t change that. Those bruises and broken bones will fade and heal. As for any bruises here,” he tapped the spot over her heart, “I think Daryl and I can help heal those. You are beautiful, Emma, so goddamn beautiful.” He kissed her again and Daryl put all his attention to sucking at her. “Don’t stop unless I tell you, Daryl, understand?” Daryl hummed around her nipple and focused solely on sucking at her. Rick kissed her one last time and left the bed. Daryl opened his eyes again to watch his master walk to the end of the bed. He gently pulled the blanket off, leaving both he and Emma exposed.

“Rick? What are you doing?” She asked. Daryl could hear her breaths coming in shallow gasps. Rick crawled over her carefully. Daryl watched as he worked her shorts and panties off slowly. She didn’t protest anymore, but moved to help him as he undressed her. 

“Daryl,” Rick’s voice was rough with desire. He looked at his master but didn’t stop giving Emma’s nipple attention, “Touch her other breast with your hand, pup, be gentle.” He immediately did as he was told, careful to avoid the bruises. He felt Emma’s leg move and realized Rick was pushing her legs apart and settling in between them.

“Rick? What are you-ahh! Oh my god!” Daryl kept up with his licking and sucking but watched as his master dipped his tongue between Mistress’s legs. 

“I’m going to lick and suck at your clit until you fall apart, my beautiful girl,” Master said and the words made Daryl shiver. His cock was hard and leaking and he wanted to rut   
against his mistress. He whined loudly and Rick pulled away from Emma with a loud slurping sound.

“What is it pup?” Daryl rubbed his cock against the sheets in reply. “Emma? Can he use your leg? I would like for him to come as well.”

“Y-yes!”

“You may rut against her, Daryl, gentle at first.” Daryl whined happily and pressed his cock to his mistress’s leg. “Tell me if it’s uncomfortable,” Rick said to Emma, “I don’t want him to hurt you.” But Mistress only moaned in reply as Master slipped his tongue inside of her again.

Daryl was in heaven. He rubbed his aching cock against his mistress’s soft flesh, sucked at one of her nipples, and rubbed his mittened hand over the other. Emma threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged gently every time Master hit a sensitive spot within her. 

“Oh god, Rick,” she cried out. “Right there, just like that, oh my god!”

The slight sting from his hair being pulled, Master’s hum of contentment, and Mistress’s gasps of pleasure was enough to send him over the edge. His whole body was tingling, he could feel it down to his toes, and with one last shudder of friction he was coming. He sucked even harder at her nipple and rubbed against her leg as his cock spilled out onto her skin. And then he felt her tense beside him. She cried out, a high pitched gasp that Daryl thought he could feel, not just hear, and he knew she was coming too. Master licked and tasted her until her shudders stopped.

“Stop, Daryl,” Rick instructed. He reluctantly let go, with both his mouth and hand, and laid on his side panting. “Clean up your mess, pup,” Master told him, gently. Daryl slid down immediately and licked Emma’s leg clean, enjoying her trembles every time his tongue touched her skin. When he was finished, Rick crawled up her body, careful to not put any of his weight on her, and kissed her slack mouth. Daryl watched them for a moment, their tongues dancing together, their eyes closed. He sat up and licked hesitantly at Master’s neck; when Rick moaned, he licked again, then kissed and sucked at his flesh. 

“Rick,” Emma groaned in between kisses.

“Are you in pain?” He asked, his nose brushing against hers.

“A little,” she admitted. Daryl pulled away so Rick could ease off of her. “Not sure if those pain meds have kicked in yet.”

“I shouldn’t have-”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” she scolded, but Daryl saw her smile. She turned her head and looked at the both of them. “That was incredible,” she whispered.

“You think you can sleep?” He asked both Daryl and Emma. Daryl only nodded in reply, nuzzling up into Master’s neck.

“Definitely,” Emma answered. Rick settled in between them and Daryl made himself comfortable, his head on his master’s left shoulder. He watched across Rick’s chest as Emma carefully rolled onto her side so that she could lay her head on Rick’s right shoulder.

“Are you comfortable?” Rick asked.

“More than I’ve been in a long time,” she replied. 

Master wrapped his arms around the both of them and sighed happily. Daryl was perfectly content and he knew Mistress was too. Because Rick’s arms….Rick’s arms were big enough to hold both of them.


	21. Emma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two months later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here it is, the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this last one, it's basically all smut.  
> *yells, throws glitter* STUFF N THANGS!

Emma sat on the bed in the doctor’s office, practically bouncing in anticipation. It had been two months since Spencer’s attack and both casts were finally coming off. She would have to wear a walking boot for her leg and a splint for her wrist while she wrote, but she swore to follow the doctor’s orders to the letter; anything to get out of the smothering plaster.

“You’re impatient,” Rick observed from the chair below her.

“And you wouldn’t be?” She threw back. She didn’t mean to be quite so snippy but Rick smirked. 

“They never put me in a full cast so I guess I can’t really empathize.”

“Lucky S-O-B,” she grumbled. Rick laughed out loud at that, threw his paper down, and stood. He walked over to the bed and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“What’d you say to me, girl?” But he was smiling.

“Said that you’re a kind, sweet man who would never rub it in his girlfriend’s face that he didn’t actually have to suffer the indignity of a real cast,” she teased. He kissed her softly on the lips just as the door opened. She jumped a little, but he didn’t let go, only ending the kiss when he was ready to do so, despite the obvious throat clearing from the doctor.

“Sorry, doc,” Rick said, grinning at Emma’s tomato red cheeks, “wasn’t going to end a perfectly good kiss just on your account.”

The doctor turned as red as Emma and blustered about getting the show on the road and fired up the saw to remove her casts. Rick had moved out of the way and stood against the wall, but Emma kept her eyes on him the whole time. The past two months living with him and Daryl had been the most happiest of her life. Not that it hadn’t been without its difficulties. 

Spencer’s parents posted his bail so he was out two days after his arrest. But he was charged with felony assault on top of attempted rape, and faced with overwhelming evidence, he pleaded guilty. Emma didn’t have to testify, since there was no trial and for that she was grateful. She was present at his sentencing though, Rick holding her hand throughout all of it. After he was formally sentenced, they were both approached by his parents. His mother tried to embrace her, but she just trembled against Rick’s chest and the glare he was giving them was the absolute definition of “if looks could kill.” His parents then profusely apologized for their son’s actions and hoped that she was healing well and that he had not done lasting damage. Rick all but growled at them to go away, but Emma appreciated their words, even if they were basically useless. It was his parents that hired the lawyer, his parents who insisted he plead guilty, and she knew that many parents would have instructed a lawyer to try to get their child off with no consequences to their actions. The Monroe’s didn’t do that, knowing that their son would see the inside of a prison cell for a long time. 

Emma had been thinking about that day as she watched the doctor cutting the last evidence of it from her body, but then she looked at Rick again. His blue eyes stared straight into hers and she felt her breath catch. She was finally free of the bulky plaster and she knew exactly what was on his mind. That first night, when Rick went down on her, was most certainly not the last. It opened up a whole conversation about how sex between the three of them would go, which led to lots of experimentation. Including one memorable evening when, as Daryl knelt and sucked Rick’s cock, Emma sat on the floor beside him, expertly bringing him to orgasm with just her hand. Rick and Daryl had come at the same time and she had beamed with pride at assisting them in such an experience. That is, until they both recovered and Rick had lifted her from the floor, as though she weighed nothing and laid her across his lap. Before she could even form a half-hearted protest, he had one finger inside of her and his thumb on her clit. After he instructed Daryl to kiss any part of her body that he wished, Rick worked another finger inside and was putting the right amount of pressure in all the right places. She would have cried out as she came, but Daryl’s tongue down her throat muffled it a bit. Rick got the idea though. 

But because of her broken bones, every time the three of them did anything remotely sexual, it was all gentle kisses and slow touches. Which frustrated her to no end. She wanted Rick and Daryl to the full extent, wanted Rick to kiss her hard enough to bruise her lips, wanted Daryl on top of her, both of them in her. Anything really. She would take anything over this cautious, barely touching, slow build they’d resigned themselves too over the past two months.

And now, looking in Rick’s eyes, she saw the same desire, the same want. He wanted her and that made her heartbeat stutter just a bit. 

The doctor finished up, gave her the all clear to resume normal activities, with the instructions to wear the boot and splint if she was doing anything strenuous and left the room. As soon as the door shut, Rick walked back to her, full of purpose and put his hands on her hips.

“You ready to go home?”

“Fuck. Yes.”

 

When they got home, they let Daryl out together, holding hands in the backyard. When he was finished, he crawled to his favorite spot, where the grass was green and fluffy, and rolled onto his back, obviously asking for some attention. Emma laughed and quickly moved to give him what he wanted, pulling Rick with her as she went. They both knelt down on either side of him and rubbed him all over, Emma’s hands in his hair, Rick’s just below his navel and on his hips. Daryl leaned his head into Emma’s touch, nosing at her newly exposed hand.

“Be gentle, buddy,” Rick said, out of habit.

“I’m not going to break, Rick,” Emma sighed.

“I know, I just-”

“The casts are off, the bones are healed. Can the kid gloves come off too?”

“You’ve been too sassy for your own good today,” Rick smirked at her.

“Well what are you going to do about it?” She challenged him.

“Daryl,” Rick said and their pup’s attention was immediately focused on him. “Climb on top of Emma, put her on her back.” Daryl pushed himself from the ground and clambered onto her, pushing her to the ground in the process. She could feel his naked cock growing quickly against her thigh and she pushed up into it.

“Kiss him,” Rick whispered and she obeyed, leaning up and crushing her lips against Daryl’s, shoving her tongue inside of his mouth. He groaned into her mouth and she heard Rick groan as well. She reached a hand out and felt until she reached the crotch of his jeans and squeezed at his own hardening length. He slapped her hand away. “You still haven’t learned your lesson, little tiger,” he teased.

“Oh god,” she broke the kiss with Daryl and turned her neck to look at Rick. Daryl just kissed her exposed flesh, unwilling to stop. “You gonna teach me soon?”

“Daryl,” he ignored her, “enough. Climb off of her.” Daryl did as he was told, but whimpered. “I know, pup,” Rick leaned toward him and ran a hand through his unruly hair, before kissing him gently on the lips. “But we can’t stay in the backyard, now can we?” 

Daryl yipped happily, licked at Rick’s lips, and scrambled to get inside. Rick stood, held his hand out and helped Emma to her feet. As soon as she was upright, he leaned down and threw her over his shoulder. 

“Rick!” She cried out, suddenly scared at being off the ground. He swatted her ass in response.

“I should give you more,” he growled, “but I think I’d rather torture you in other ways.” He carried her through the house and into the bedroom where Daryl was already waiting. “On the bed, pup.” Rick instructed and once again, he immediately obeyed. Rick placed Emma back on her feet but didn’t give her a chance to speak before he claimed her lips in a punishing kiss. Emma let him lead, submitting to his will, letting herself melt into his touch. One hand held her at the small of her back while the other threaded itself into her hair. He gripped her hair hard and pulled her head back enough to break their kiss. She looked into his commanding blue eyes, gasping for breath.

“Mine,” he whispered. It was almost a question, wanting her permission.

“Yours,” she breathed back and he dipped his face into her neck, kissing her with little nips down to her chest. When his lips met fabric he growled again and let go of her, only to rip her shirt off over her head. Next were her jeans, which he swiftly pushed down her legs.

“Get on the bed, give Daryl some attention, but do not let him enter you.” He nipped her nose playfully. “Yet.”

She did as he said, peppering kisses up Daryl’s body as she climbed on top of him. He squirmed in pleasure, giggling when she reached his more sensitive spots. When she was completely on top of him, she pushed down on his cock. If Rick hadn’t forbidden her, Daryl would already be inside her. She moaned in frustration, but Daryl leaned up and licked at her lips. She pushed back, with her mouth open, allowing his tongue to slip inside. She let him lap at her for a few moments before pulling away.

“Touch me, Daryl,” she order, ripping his mittens off, “put your hands on my back.” He reached up, a little hesitantly, but soon she felt his hands splayed out on her naked back and her breath came in shallow pants. Feeling his hands on her skin was heaven and she had completely forgotten about Rick. That is until he made his presence known again.

“Sit up, Emma.” 

She did as she was told, Daryl’s rock hard member fit right into the juncture of her thighs and he gasped as the heat of her flesh. When she finally tore her eyes from Daryl’s open mouth, she focused on Rick’s hand in front of her.

“I thought we might want to use this. He’s never been inside before. Don’t want him to come too soon.” He put the cock ring he was holding into her outstretched hand and she looked up and saw a wicked gleam in his eye. His words were about Daryl, but she knew what her torture would be. But she took the ring with a challenging jerk of her chin and turned her attention back to Daryl. She kissed his lips, then his neck. Then she moved down to his chest. She plucked at one nipple with her teeth, then the other, reveling in the delicious moans that spilled from his mouth. She kissed her way down to his navel, ran her tongue around it and continued her way south. She gripped the base of his cock with one hand and enveloped just the head between her lips. The top half of his body jolted from the bed and he released a sound somewhere between a choke and a sob. She opened her mouth as wide as possible and let her tongue slid down on the underside of his flesh, then licked her way back to the top. 

Daryl was in sensory overload. He’d never had a mouth on his cock and Emma hoped that Rick was enjoying the show. She pulled her mouth off him and slipped the cock ring on, ensuring Daryl wouldn’t come until it was removed.

Rick climbed on the bed behind her and she felt his naked cock against her ass. He wrapped his fingers in her hair again and pulled up so that her back touched his chest. She groaned at his warmth and he nibbled her earlobe. “Keep blowing him while I get you ready,” his voice was low, filled with arousal and need.

She leaned down once he loosened the grip on her hair and put her mouth back on Daryl. He nearly came off the bed when his cock was only halfway inside her mouth.

“Be still, Daryl,” Rick warned as he grabbed Emma’s hips. “Put your ass in the air, girl.” He swatted at her again, just enough to make it sting and she moaned around Daryl’s flesh. He was doing his best to obey his master but the vibrations she made when she moaned were almost too much. He would have been coming down her throat if it wasn’t for that cock ring. As it was, his hands fisted in the sheets beside, doing everything he could to stay still.

Emma heard the lube bottle snick open and felt the cold substance on her ass just a second later. She yelped with a mouthful of cock this time, making Daryl give his own little noise. Rick chuckled at them both.

“It’s a good thing we don’t have very close neighbors. They may be able to hear you two all the way to Atlanta at this rate.” He teased the tight ring of muscles at Emma’s entrance and she did her best to relax. He pushed his finger in to that first knuckle and her legs nearly gave out. It had been so long since she’d had any penetrative sex, let alone anal sex. Just that little tip of his finger made her feel so full, yet so empty at the same time. She wanted her pussy filled too, but with her mouth full of Daryl, she couldn’t exactly say so. Rick’s finger continued its course, slowly, until it was all the way inside of her.

All the while she focused hard on pleasuring Daryl, wanting him to enjoy his first blow job. She took her time taking him all the way to the back of her throat, holding him there while she pushed her gag reflex to its limit before slowly pulling off of him. As Rick moved his finger around inside of her, she swirled her tongue around Daryl’s cockhead, taking her time on the sensitive flesh just under it. She lowered her mouth back over him and sucked, loving how wanton he sounded, how wrecked he already was.

Rick massaged Emma’s back entrance with one finger until he was satisfied and inserted a second. When she felt that second digit breach her, she pulled off of Daryl completely and buried her face into his hip bone.

“Rick, oh god, Rick!”

“Am I hurting you?” He was a little concerned.

“No, it feels so good.”

“Then put your mouth back on him, girl. Don’t want our pup feeling left out do we?”

“No, sir,” she replied as she enveloped Daryl once again into her sinful mouth.

“Good thing I brought that cock ring. Are you enjoying her mouth, Daryl?”

“Yes, Master,” he gasped out.

“Good boy,” he praised Daryl for using his words and started scissoring Emma open. He couldn’t wait much longer. But he didn’t want to rush it, didn’t want to hurt her. So he took his time until he felt her tight muscle relax and expand for him. And he didn’t speak again until he felt it happen. “Pull off of him, Emma.” He pulled his fingers out of her as she did and pulled her up so that his mouth was at her ear again. “Let him see how that sweet pussy feels.” 

Emma whimpered at that instruction and straddled Daryl so that his was right there. She watched his face as she lowered herself on him and he was enveloped in her warm, tight body. He gasped loud enough that it echoed around the room, his head coming completely off the bed. She shifted and he slipped all the way inside of her, filling her perfectly.

“Touch her breasts, Daryl. Give her something to lean against.”

When Daryl recovered from the shock of being inside a woman for the first time, he willed his arms to move and placed his hands over her breasts and squeezed. She moaned and leaned into the touch, causing her body to rock over him. His cock slipped out and back in, just a little bit, but enough to enjoy the friction. She felt Rick come up behind her, his body flush against hers. He spread her cheeks and lined his cock up with her only other available entrance.

Emma cried out when the tip of Rick’s cock pushed its way inside of her.

“Just relax, baby,” Rick cooed in her ear. She leaned down a bit, letting Daryl support her and Rick wrapped an around her waist as she took deep breaths. “That’s it. Good girl,” and he slid all the way into her, as though he was always meant to be there.

“So full,” she moaned. Rick pushed into her, causing her to push down on Daryl. Daryl bucked his hips up, forcing her back onto Rick. She’d never felt anything like it. Her body, full beyond anything she’d ever experienced, opened for the both of them. Rick controlled the rhythm, instructing Daryl when to push his hips up and soon she was a moaning, writhing mess in between her two men. Rick let the arm that was around her waist fall and a finger lightly brushed against her clit. She cried out and arched against his back and then his finger disappeared, leaving her little bud wanting more. 

“Rick,” she pleaded. He sucked on her neck as his finger touched her again, harder this time but only just. And it vanished again as quickly as it came. “Rick please, please. I’m so close.”

“I know you are baby, and I’m going to keep you there as long as I want and you’ll come only when you’ve learned your lesson.”

“Rick,” she sobbed as his finger continued the light brush, touch, vanish. Brush, touch, vanish. She could feel her clit pulsing, almost trying to find his fingers of its own accord. All the while he and Daryl kept at their rhythm, one in, one out. Emma could see the sweat on Daryl’s forehead, could feel it dripping down her back from Rick’s body.

“Please, Rick, Master, please, god, please, please,” she begged again as he took her clit between two fingers, pinched lightly, and then let go.

“No,” he breathed in her ear. He grabbed her waist with his massive hands and lifted her off of Daryl, like it was nothing to move both of their bodies in tandem. His cock was harder than it had ever been and purple, with all the blood held there. “Take his cock ring off.” She leaned down, careful that Rick didn’t slip from her too, and gently removed the ring from Daryl’s body. Then he lowered her back onto him and she was filled once more. “We’re going to come inside of you, Emma,” Rick purred. “We’re both going to fill you up,” he gripped her clit in between his fingers again and this time he didn’t let go, “but not until you….Come!” The last word was an order and she shattered. Rick pushed in, forcing Daryl in as she spasmed around both of their cocks. Fireworks erupted throughout her whole body and she vaguely heard Rick say, “Come inside of her, Daryl,” as she came harder than she ever had. Her orgasm pulsed on as Daryl thrust up into her, filling her pussy. Then Rick exploded, filling her as well. Both men pushed into her as they rode out their own orgasms and by the time they finished, she was completely spent. Rick wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from falling and lowered her gently onto Daryl’s heaving chest. She felt Rick slip from her body first, then Daryl, then the come they left inside of her leak from her, but she was too exhausted to care. Rick fell down on to the bed, grabbed her side, and pulled, so that she could fall off Daryl. The three of them lay side by side by side, panting, the sweat barely cooling on their bodies.

“Wow,” Daryl whispered. Rick and Emma both looked up at him and saw a huge smile plastered across his face. “Can I be in the middle next time?” He asked, a little sheepish.

Rick and Emma laughed out loud. “Or course you can,” Emma answered. She pushed herself up and leaned over to kiss him. “My sweet angel boy.” She moved back so that she could kiss Rick on her other side. “If that’s ok with you, Master?” She smiled at him, no sass this time.

“God, yes,” he answered and she laid back on the bed. They said nothing, but started unconsciously moving closer to each other until they were all touching, skin to skin to skin. They settled around each other, Daryl rolling to face Emma, she wrapping her arm around him. Rick spooning against her back and wrapping his arm around her, but touching Daryl, too. Sleepiness hung over the trio better than a warm blanket.

“I love you, Emma,” Daryl said, just before he succumbed.

“I love you, too, Daryl,” she murmured.

“I love you, Emma,” Rick whispered in her ear.

She turned her face so that his nose nuzzled against her cheek. “And I love you, Rick.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to DarklyDreamingDixon for the inspiration for this story and for helping me with my writer's block on this last chapter; I could not have done this without you!
> 
> To everyone who took a chance and read this and commented: I am so grateful to you! This is my first fan fiction that I've ever completed and all the enthusiasm definitely helped me to keep at it.
> 
> With that said, I have several others that I've started and will hopefully write enough soon to start posting. My stories are generally really long, like this one, and take a long time to write. They are also very different from one another, with the one exception that they all include Norman Reedus characters. I hope that you take a chance on my stories again.
> 
> For anyone who might be interested, here's what I have in the works right now:A Walking Dead Canon Divergence(maybe even more AU but w/zombies) where Sophia didn't die; a trilogy of Dark Harbor (1998) (if you haven't seen this movie stop what you're doing and watch, it's free if you're an Amazon Prime member, my story WILL contain spoilers); an ABO that's a Walking Dead/Boondock Saints thing (I'm not even really sure what to call it); an AU Boondock Saints that disregards the 2nd movie (no offense to fans of All Saints Day); and an AU Historical fiction that's a true Rickyl (this one will take the longest to complete, as I've barely started it)
> 
> Thanks again for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to DarklyDreamingDixon, not only for the inspiration but also all the support and encouragement. I could not have done this otherwise!
> 
> This work isn't finished, I don't know how many chapters it will be, and I don't have a posting schedule. My goal is to post a chapter at least every other day. If you comment, please be kind.


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